The Art of Deception
by PetitDejeuner
Summary: She's afraid to love. He thinks loving is a distraction. What happens when they're on a mission where they have to act like they're engaged? [NejiSaku]
1. With or Without You

**The Art of Deception**

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Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the lyrics, artists, or songs that I will quote in this fic.

Author's Note: OH YES, bitches! Petitdejeuner is back with your NejiSaku fic! You may all bow. Hehe. But seriously. This is going to be fun to write... Neji and Sakura are my second-favorite pairing, right behind GaaSaku. I hope you all have fun reading!

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**Scroll I: With or Without You**

_See the stone set in your eyes  
See the thorn twist in your side  
I wait for you_

_--U2; With or Without You_

---

Tsunade sighed as she regarded the two jounin in front of her. Both so different in skill, but both the best in their own areas. Haruno Sakura: the village's top medic, and probably the best in many other villages, too; a genjutsu expert being semi-trained in taijutsu by Rock Lee; her very own apprentice, receiving all her skills and more; a beautiful, budding young woman. Hyuuga Neji: one of Konohagure's geniuses; master of the Hyuuga 'Gentle Fist' style of fighting; Byakugan-wielder; amazing at ninjutsu and strategics; and one of the teenage heartthrobs of the century. He was stiff, she was loose. He was strict, she was fun-loving. He was calm, she was fiery.

Was there ever a pair so destined to be together? The Godaime didn't think so. Unfortunately, the two friends (their closebonds being related to Neji's large amount of time at the hospital, where he was suspiciously _always _treated by Sakura) were either too dense to notice anything or they just didn't want to believe that they had chemistry. _Remarkable_ chemistry. The Hokage kicked back and relaxed as they sat down uneasily, more than a little puzzled at this spontaneous, strange meeting, and smirked to herself. She was effing _brilliant_. Her apprentice was dateless, and so was this boy; they would be perfect for each other; and she needed two jounin anyway to do this mission. Put it all together, and she was hitting two birds with one kunai: completing a mission and using her superior matchmaking skills.

_Damn, I'm good_.

"Hyuuga," the blonde, busty woman greeted casually, nodding to the twenty-two-year-old prodigy before her. "Sakura." She nodded again to her twenty-one-year-old apprentice. "Arigato for coming."

"It's no problem, Tsunade-sensei," Sakura said with a cheerful smile, a veil of confusion passing over her features as she spoke again. "But why are we here? What mission only requires two people?"

Neji said nothing, but a similar confusion was echoed in his pearl-white eyes. Tsunade smiled and laced her fingers across her stomach, gazing at the two. "For this B-ranked mission, Sakura, we don't need two people," she said mischeviously, "we need one couple."

Sakura raised an eyebrow, but Neji's mouth was open slightly in shock, which meant that he probably understood completely. Suddenly, understanding dawned on Sakura's features, and, contrary to Neji's slowly widening eyes, her jade ones narrowed. "Tsunade-sensei... we have to pose as a couple?"

The blonde nodded with a proud smile. _And now for the shocker._ "Not just as a couple... you're going to be engaged to each other." It was extremely amusing (and strangely satisfying) to see Neji's mouth open fully, so that he was in a full gape, and Sakura's eyes go from their narrowed state to wide as saucers.

"Y... you've got to be kidding!" Sakura said after a moment, heat going to her cheeks. "We're going to act like we're _engaged_?"

Tsunade shrugged. "As far as the mission goes, you two _are _engaged. We have a sneaking suspicion that Sound is planning something with or that has to do with Lightning. Because of that, you two will be an engaged couple on a trip to Lightning to see the sights, visit museums, have fun... you know. Couple stuff." The Hokage inwardly smiled at their shellshocked faces, though Neji had camouflaged his somewhat into an expression that spoke 'oh-my-good-god'. "Meanwhile, I want you to look out for anything that might have to do with Sound." She tossed them scrolls, which they caught expertly, and Sakura looked at her quizically. "These are communication scrolls. I have another one right here." She held up one identical to theirs. "If I need yout to do something extra, or if you have questions about the mission, we can contact each other with these."

Neji looked up at her. "So, we can't reveal that we're ninja?" he asked suspiciously, tucking the scroll into a pocket.

"Of course not," Tsunade answered vehemently, staring at him. "We don't want to give Sound the slightest reason to suspect you. Because when Sound suspects someone, they don't just watch them carefully, they _kill_ them, even if the person in question is as innocent as... um... I don't know. Hinata before she met Naruto."

Sakura burst into laughter, and even Neji managed a small chuckle. Tsunade smiled at the difference between them, and rejoiced within herself once again at her amazing skills at putting people together. _This_, she thought triumphantly, _is gonna be good._

---

"_You're engaged to Hyuuga Neji!_"

Yamanaka Ino's shriek echoed across Konoha as Sakura sighed and rolled her eyes at her blonde friend. "No, not really. Just for the mission. We have to _pretend_ like we're engaged."

"Oh." Ino grinned and put a hand on her hip. "Damn, don't scare me like that. I thought you were serious. Marrying Hyuuga Neji... wow."

Sakura gave her a look as the blue-eyed girl sat on her bed. "I don't know, it couldn't be that bad," she said, her voice muffled as she rummaged through her closet. "Could it?" She emerged with her shinobi uniform and a couple of casual yukata, and laid the outfits on the bed next to her friend.

Ino shrugged. "Wouldn't he be all strict? And he seems the type to be overprotective. You know. Glaring at any other boy that looks at you."

"Yeah, I bet Shikamaru's too _lazy_ to glare at anyone," Sakura teased, tucking a strand of petal-pink hair behind her ear.

"Oh, ha ha," the blonde replied sarcastically. "My Shika-kun is _not_ that lazy!"

Sakura looked at her.

"Well, okay, maybe he is, but I still love him!"

The two friends grinned and giggled with each other as Sakura went through the contents of her drawers. "I have _nothing_ to wear," she groaned. "Seriously. I had no idea my wardrobe was so... nonexistant. I mean, it's not like I'm poor or anything." It was true. Besides the generous amount of money her parents had left her when they died, she'd raked up quite a bit of cash from her various missions and jobs.

"Well, you know what this means, don't you?" Ino said casually, standing up with a smirk. Sakura groaned, knowing what was coming. "_Shopping spree!_" Ino grabbed Sakura's hand and Sakura grabbed her purse, and they ran out together, laughing like the old friends they were.

Ino had liked being a kunoichi, but didn't want to go to jounin level. She wanted to be able to stay at home and work at her flower shop with Shikamaru, her newly-betrothed. Shino, Chouji, Hinata, and Shikamaru himself were also still chuunin, and had no problem with it.

The two girls had renewed and solidified their friendship after Sasuke left, claiming that it was stupid to fight over a boy anyway. Ino had comforted Sakura and had toughened her to her loss, and was mostly responsible for the gradually increasing self-confidence her jade-eyed friend had. Likewise, Sakura helped Ino create a relationship with Shikamaru, and was often seen at the flower shop, helping out or buying a couple roses just for fun. It was like being nine all over again, and the two girls loved it.

Sakura groaned as Ino piled shirts, pants, and skirts into her arms. "Good God, Ino... I'm only going to be gone for a month or so!"

"Well, these are just the essentials!" her friend protested with a grin, pushing her into the dressing room. "Don't forget to model for me!"

Sakura snorted, sorting through the clothes until she came across a dress. "Ino! I can't wear this!" She held out the skimpy gown with an incredulous expression on her face.

"Oh, come on, Sakura! It's so sexy!" Ino squealed excitedly. "And I bet it looks so good on you! Just try it on, please?" She gave an exaggerated pout and giggled through it. "Or else I'll be stuck like this forever. And people will exclaim that I used to be so beautiful... except when mean old Haruno Sakura made her pout like this..."

Sakura couldn't help laughing through her angry facade. "Fine, I'll try it. But that's it."

Of course, she ended up buying it... Ino's unending whining was enough to make her practically slam the money on the counter. That damned high-pitched voice she could have... well. Wouldn't _you_ buy it after hearing that screech in your ear? "Besides," Ino had insisted, "you look incredible in it. Neji will be completely bowled over! I mean, who would expect Haruno Sakura to wear something like that?"

Sakura eyed her. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Ino had only grinned.

---

Sakura stuffed the last pair of shoes into her suitcase and wiped the sweat from her forehead. "Whew... I knew Ino made me buy too much..." The green-eyed kunoichi closed the suitcase-- or tried to. It wouldn't close, damn it all. "Erg..." Sakura leaned on the lid, eyes shut with the amount of pressure she was exerting. She put it on the floor and stood on it. She jumped on it. She even pushed it against the wall.

Nothing.

"I got it," she said finally, pushing down on the lid. She put chakra into her arms and pushed as hard as she could, beads of sweat popping on her slightly-larger-than-normal forehead.

_Click_.

"AHA!" she shouted triumphantly, punching the air. "TAKE THAT, YOU FUCKING SUITCA-"

"Sakura-chan?"

Sakura froze, turning her head to see Naruto sitting on her windowsill, looking a little scared. "Naruto?" She giggled nervously, scratching the back of her neck. "Ehehe... sorry. The suitcase wouldn't close, and, um..." She suddenly eyed him angrily. "Why are you at my windowsill? You hentai! I could have been changing!"

Naruto grinned his trademark foxy grin. "Well, Tenten told me that Lee told her that Shino told him that Kiba had said that Shikamaru had remarked that Ino had told him that you were leaving tomorrow for a mission with Hyuuga-san, so I decided to come over and say goodbye because Tenten said that you'd also be gone for a month, and that's a long time, so, er, yeah." He was blue in the face from so much talking.

Sakura sighed. "Breathe, Naruto." She smiled. "Thanks for coming. But... I have a door, you know." She looked at him, amused, and shook her head.

He laughed sheepishly. "Ano, Sakura-chan, the window's so much more fun." The Kyuubi-holder hopped inside her room and threw an arm over her shoulder. "So tell me about this mission."

"It's only a B-rank," Sakura said, "but we have to sort of be actors."

"How?" Naruto asked, looking at the dents in Sakura's suitcase with a sort of amused interest.

"Well, Neji and I have to act like a couple." Naruto's head shot up. "An engaged couple." The blonde in front of her burst out laughing as Sakura blushed furiously, not sure exactly why she was doing such.

"The H-Hyuuga has to act like he's in _love_?" Naruto howled with mirth, tears escaping from his eyes. "I can see it now! 'S-sakura, I love you!' 'Neji, I l-love you, t-t-too!'" He gave another burst of laughter and fell on her bed, wiping the salty wetness from his eyes.

Sakura's eye twitched as she kicked her friend in the shins, making his laughter stop abruptly. "Naruto!" she complained, blushing.

He chuckled outthe rest of his humor and sat up, rubbing his shin. "Sorry, Sakura-chan. It's just funny to think of."

She sighed and sat next to him. "We're just going to act. I mean, it's not like we're actually falling in love." She blushed againat the thought.

Naruto shrugged and put his hands behind his head, lacing his fingers together. "You'd make a good couple, though. And then I could have you as my sister-in-law!"

"Sister-in-law?"

"Hopefully, anyway. I'm proposing to Hinataat dinner tonight." He smiled slightly and held out a black velvet box. "I've got the ring ready and everything." He opened the case, revealing a platinum band with two pearls on each side of a diamond. "D'you think she'll like it? D'you think she'll say yes?" He looked worried.

Sakura threw her arms around her friend. "Naruto! I'm so happy for you! I think she'll love it, and of course she'll say yes! She's loved you since she was a genin!" She kissed him on the cheek and hugged him again, tighter. "I can't believe you, you romantic!"

Naruto laughed weakly and hugged his best friend back equally hard. "Arigato, Sakura-chan." He stood up, confidence flooding his features. "I have to get ready for tonight... good luck on the mission!"

"Domo, Naruto." Sakura grinned at him, happiness evident on her face. "And good luck tonight!"

"Ah, I won't need that if she loves me like you said!" Naruto grinned, hopping on her windowsill. "Have fun with Neji, ne? Don't do anything I wouldn't do!"

"Naruto!" But he was gone, off in an excited, pre-proposal frenzy. Sakura smiled at his retreating back, obvious in his bright orange coat. _Oh, wow,_ Sakura thought excitedly, closing the window. _Imagine Naruto and Hinata being married! How perfect!_ At the same time, though, Sakura felt a tug of loneliness at her heart. She was happy for her friends, of course, but... well, it seemed like everyone was finding someone to love except her. Naruto and Hinata were (apparently)getting married, Ino and Shikamaru were engaged, Kiba and Temari (extremely weird, but it was happening...) were together, Shino was surprisingly corresponding with a girl in Suna, Tenten was going out with Lee and living with him, and even Kakashi-sensei and Shizune were newly married!

Ever since Sasuke had gone, she'd resolved not to fall so easily for anyone ever again, and never to think herself weak because she couldn't help someone... even when she'd tried her hardest. She'd become the Sakura she'd been before he had started to think of betrayal. But now, this combination ofold Sakura and new Sakurawas without the love she had become so accustomed to. She was without the crazyneediness that she'd had for Sasuke, and nobody really felt that way to her. It made her feel extremely lonely, and... unlovable.

_Dwelling on it only makes it worse,_ she scolded herself as she went downstairs, putting together ingredients for dinner. _You have a mission tomorrow._ The thought of the mission cheered her somewhat. _At least I can pretend to love and be loved. That'll make me feel better._ After all, Neji was her friend. They knew each other, and even had a brother-sister relationship. If she had had to pick anyone to take this mission with, Neji definitely would have been in one of the top spots.

---

Hyuuga Neji brushed a loose strand of coffee-colored hair from his white eyes as he attacked the punching bag with all the force he possessed,going overthe day in his mind. First, Tsunade had assigned the mission... that woman had _something_ up her sleeve, he could feel it, and he was going to try and find out, Hokage or not... then he'd gone home to find Hinata in a frenzy about what to wear to her date with Naruto. "Something important is going to happen, I just know it!" she'd practically squeaked. After calming her down and taking some of her tea (she made _really_ good tea), he'd gone to the shops to get something fancy for the mission, just in case, and was met by an ecstatic Ino, who insisted that she pick out his outfit.

Needless to say he'd been worried, but the soon-to-be-Nara girl had pointed out a nice black suit with a nice red dress shirt that she'd said 'brought out his eyes'. He'd asked her how anything could bring out his eyes, as they were white... but she simply glared at him and told him to just buy the damn thing. That girl could be pretty persuasive. He felt bad for Shikamaru.

After shopping, he'd trained some. And _that_ was where the problem had started. He couldn't get his pink-haired friend out of his mind! Not like she was a particularly bad thing to think about, but the way he thought of her worried him somewhat. Shit, he was musing about her silky-looking hair and beautiful jade eyes, and the way thather chin was always tilted upwards somewhat (not snobbishly, but rather as if shealways looked at the world optimistically and viewed everything happily). He had been thinking of her curvy figure, and appreciating the way that she was okay with the fact that she wasn't necessarily as stick-skinny as some of her friends. He wasn't _supposed_ to think about her like that. It wasn't Neji-like. Hell, it wasn't even _friend_-like. It felt like he was some sort of lusty guy that followed her around everywhere.

Neji stopped attacking when he realized that he'd long punched the bag to the floor, and that he had been trying to kill the air around him for the better part of five minutes. Damn it all, _she_ did this to him. That pink-haired kunoichi was invading his mind, and he'd get her _out_, or he'd rip out his Byakugan eyes.

Well, maybe not. But still.

The elite jounin walked angrily into his room and into the shower, massaging his scalp with more vigor than intended. Some relaxing tea, a chance to read a couple scrolls on genjutsu (his current weak point). _That_ would calm him down if nothing else would. Or at least, he hoped so. He turned off the water and towel-dried his long hair, wrapping the towel around his waist as he got the scroll from the shelf above his bed. Neji pulled on the cotton pants he used for sleeping and slid into the bed, unrolling the scroll and reading intently.

Genjutsu. Sakura was an expert at genjustu, wasn't she? That's right; that was the way she'd won the jounin exam's fighting sequence. She'd used a superior genjustu on some guy from Mist and he'd collapsed almost instantly.

Neji suddenly realized what he was doing and growled furiously, throwing the scroll across the room.

Damn her.


	2. A Little Less

**The Art of Deception**

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Author's Note: Hey, everyone! Thanks for the reviews! On a quick side note, I realized that my latest fic, _Aishiteru, Cherry Blossom_, has annoying spacing mistakes that make two words look like one. I'm really sorry that I didn't catch that... it must have made it so hard to read! -sweatdrop- I promise that I'll try and make sure that this fic won't have those annoying little mistakes!

---

**Scroll II:** **A Little Less**

_So say, what are you waiting for,  
Kiss her, kiss her  
I set my clocks early 'cause I know I'm always late._

_--Fall Out Boy; A Little Less Sixteen Candles, A Little More "Touch Me"_

---

Jade eyes blinked open and a halfway-open mouth issued a soft, groggy groan. Sakura woke up slowly, looking blearily around before turning her digital clock so she could see the time. She stretched luxuriously and cracked her back and neck before turning to look at the clock, yawning widely. 7:45. Okay.

"SEVEN FORTY-! Nani?" the pink-haired kunoichi leapt out of bed and tossed off her tank top and short shorts that she slept in, turning on the water in her shower with a flick of her wrist and jumping in before it even warmed up. _I only have fifteen minutes! I thought I set my alarm last night!_ she thought hastily, scrubbing shampoo into her hair. Two minutes later, she was back out, brushing her teeth and drying her hair at the same time. _I can't believe this... I'm late to my own engagement!_

She ran into her bedroom and slipped on a pair of white shorts and a tight blue T-shirt, remembering Tsunade's warning about looking inconspicuous. She looked at the clock quickly (7: 54) and cursed under her breath, tying her hair into a messy ponytail. She grabbed her flip flops, putting them on as she stuffed her ninja gear into an extra backpack. Sakura took that and her dented suitcase, slinging them both over her shoulder, and almost literally flew down the stairs, bypassing breakfast. She did a quick recap: three more minutes left, and, of course, the Hokage's Tower was across the village.

Sakura groaned for the second time that morning and pushed chakra into her feet, sprinting down the streets of Konoha. Passersby stopped and stared at the pink-haired apparition, moving with a speed unknown to more than ninety percent of them, and shook their heads, realizing that Haruno Sakura must be late again. The kunoichi gave a final push of her feet and kicked open the door to Tsunade's office. "I am NOT late!" she shouted triumphantly.

Neji and Tsunade stared at her, then at each other. "Two seconds over," Neji said triumphantly with a smirk to the Hokage. "You owe me ten."

The Godaime scowled. _I can't even win a bet on whether or not Sakura will be late... but two seconds isn't even late! Damn him and his technicalities!_ "Are you two lovebirds ready?" she asked, grabbing her sake and chugging some to make herself feel better about this new loss.

"Hai," Sakura said with a small smile as Neji stood. She looked at his outfit- a pair of khaki shorts and a blue polo shirt with white stripes- in surprise. _I've never seen him in anything but his regular shinobi outfit or his ANBU uniform. Not bad._

Tsunade smiled smugly as she noticed her apprentice looking at her new teammate with surprise... and a small blush unnoticable to anyone without a trained eye. "Hyuuga? Your new name is Sato Natsuhito. Sakura, yours is Watanabe Kane, soon-to-be Sato Kane. Get it? Good." She smiled and sipped some more sake, feeling the familiar lightness come to her. This was what she lived for: embarrassing her students while drinking sake. It didn't get any better than this, even if she did just lose yet another bet... this one to a kid. But still."Your mission starts now." The two stood up and made for the door and Tsunade chuckled. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" she shouted, echoing Naruto's words from yesterday.

Sakura growled. "What is that, the joke of the week?" she muttered to herself, clutching her stuff. "Well, Neji-kun, let's go. It's a long way, ne?"

He nodded. "Hai, it's a long way, _Kane-chan_." Neji looked at her pointedly, and she nodded in understanding. In case someone was listening, and also just to practice using them, they would have to call each other by their fake names.Without another word, the two were off, pumping chakra into their legs to go faster.

"Ne-- er, Natsu-kun, you know Naruto proposed to Hinata-chan yesterday, don't you?" she asked, looking at him.

He let a small smile grow on his handsome features. "Hai. Hinata came home, told me, and then almost fainted. She was so happy." He was silent for a moment. "It was good to see her like that."

Sakura laughed. "You should have seen Naruto. He was so nervous, but so determined... I was so proud of him." She smiled. "But at the same time, surprised. I mean, Naruto getting married? He wasn't really one for commitment before, was he? But I know that he'll take good care of your cousin, Natsu-kun. Don't worry."

Neji looked at her for a moment, taking in the sight of her so carefree and happy, then turned his head back to the front to avoid the blush that was surely going to come, damn his hormones. "You two are really close, aren't you?"

Sakura was silent for a moment, but then nodded. "Hai, very close. Even when Sasuke was here, we always talked to each other. Told secrets, had fun together. He was the first real friend I ever had after Ino-chan and I had our little falling out." She smiled wryly. "He helped me a lot when Sasuke left."

"Why did you love that Uchiha, anyway?" Neji asked, speeding up slightly. Was that a tinge of anger in his voice? He winced mentally. The last thing he needed to do now was remind her of that traitor.

"I didn't," she answered without hesitation, keeping pace easily. "I thought I did, but I didn't. It was just a girly crush I had... and partly because I felt I was too deep into it to give up. I mean, I'd been so stupid... giving up a perfectly good friendship with Ino-chan over a boy that wouldn't even look my way when I asked him how he was." She laughed cynically. "It was the first time that I ever really felt like I was so totally... unlikeable. Unlovable."

"You're not either," he said with a frown. "Why did you think that?"

She bit her lip. "It's hard to explain," she replied after a while, "but I'll try. I think that because Sasuke would keep belittling me at every opportunity, I started to believe it. I've always had low self-confidence, Natsu-kun. It's getting better now, but it was horrible for the longest time. All of his insults just made it worse, and because I thought I loved him, thought he was perfect-" here she sputtered with mirthless laughter and muttered a "how stupid was I" under her breath, "-I started to believe it myself. And because Sasuke, naturally, doesn't like people that are either weak or useless, I believed myself unlikeable, because in my eyes, Sasuke was the only thing that mattered."

Neji looked at her warily and stumbled guiltily in seeing that she was glaring, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes and leaving silvery trails down her cheeks. "I was such a fool," she said softly, never slacking in speed, "to believe him. To like him at all. A fucking fool."

Neji frowned. "Maybe so," he said simply, trying to help, "but you're not anymore. You've changed a lot, Kane-chan. I don't think you've realized how much, but you're not the same Kane that pined after Uchiha Sasuke. You're different now, and the part of you that was buried under that 'love' for the Uchiha has come alive again. You're definitely not as weak as you were back then... though, as you said, you weren't actually weak at all. Everyone's proud of you." _I know I am._ The unspoken words reverberated through the forest, and he didn't look at her. He wasn't sure he would like what he'd see.

Sakura stared at him, scrubbing her cheeks with the back of her hand. Hyuuga Neji was definitely a man of little words, but when they came, they were short, to the point, and deliciously refreshing. Lovingly caring. The green-eyed girl smiled slightly. "Arigato, Natsu-kun."

He only shrugged, but his white eyes showed satisfaction.

---

Sakura put her hands on her knees, panting lightly. "How long have we been traveling? Where are we?" she asked Neji, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand and sitting down heavily, leaning back against a tree.

"Byakugan!" Chakra veins puffed from his pearl-white eyes as Neji scanned the area, blinking a couple times. After a minute, he deactivated it. "We're in uncharted territory, halfway across the west side of Sound. We'll have to be careful," he added in an undertone, "in case we come across Sound shinobi."

Sakura nodded, getting up slowly. "I'm going to get some water. I'll be right back." Neji nodded, watching as she sauntered into the trees where they could here a small stream going. He couldn't help but smile slightly at the way her hips moved so gracefully, the way her legs brushed against each other as she stepped down, the way her pink hair moved to the right in the breeze, giving him a surprisingly exciting view of her neck.

Neji quickly ducked his head back to the ground, cursing himself soundly. _What the hell am I thinking? She's just a teammate... just a friend... and we're only _pretending_ to be engaged._ He couldn't help realizing, though, that she had extremely attractive features. He was only human, or close enough to it to notice the opposite sex. He smirked to himself, stretching his legs out and folding his arms across his stomach. _At least I can look at her like that without being killed... it's part of the mission_. Oh, Kami-sama, now what? Hyuuga Neji was _not_ supposed to think like that. That was hentai thining, Jiraiya thinking-- _not_ Neji thinking.

Damn, he _had_ to stop hanging around that blonde fox-holder. He was the one that turned his mind into... well... not-so-pure.

"Natsu-kun?" A cool hand was on his shoulder. "Are you okay? You look... ano, you look angry."

Neji looked up and found Sakura's jade orbs. "I'm fine. Just a little tired."

Sakura laughed. The sound was wonderful: like bells clinging together. "Don't tell me Natsu-kun has gone soft! The very idea!"

Neji tried to look angry, but smiled slightly instead. "Eh, be quiet. Are you hungry?" As she opened her mouth, her stomach rumbled, and Neji chuckled. "Never mind." He shifted around in his pack for some food as Sakura built up a fire, secretly using a fire jutsu to get it going. They chatted (or rather, Sakura chatted while Neji listened) aimlessly as they cooked the food, about memories and funny stories. They talked for a while about Sasuke's departure, and the Hokage's death, and even about Shikamaru and Ino's engagement.

They were silent for a while as they ate, chewing contentedly. The silence wasn't tense, but rather loose and calming. Sakura swallowed. "Natsu-kun?"

"Hai?"

"Why haven't you found someone to love?" she asked, getting the last of a dumpling off her fingers.

He looked at her, surprised. "Found someone to love?"

"Hai. You know, Shikamaru-kun and Ino-chan, Lee-kun and Tenten-chan, Hinata-chan and Naruto... I mean, even Shino-san is with someone." Sakura rubbed her hands on a cloth and sat back against a tree, waiting for his answer. "Gomen nasai if you're uncomfortable. You don't have to answer."

"No, I will." Neji paused. "I don't think it's a question of _why_, really. I just haven't found anyone yet. Besides, love takes up my time. I need to train." He bit off a piece of fish and chewed thoughtfully, white eyes turning on her. "And what about you? Why haven't you 'found someone to love'?"

Sakura didn't say anything for a moment. _The way he said 'I need to train'... it sounded just like what Sasuke would have said._ "I... don't want to," she replied finally, looking at the sky. "Not after him. I'm... you'll think this is stupid, but I'm afraid that I'll make another mistake. I'm afraid that I'll think I love someone when I really don't."

The Hyuuga next to her stretched and leaned against the tree opposite her. "No."

She looked up. "Nani?"

"No. I don't think that's stupid."

The pink-haired kunoichi smiled slightly, turning her head to the side and looking at the ground. "Arigato."

Neji grunted.

---

"The team has left Konoha and are heading to Lightning," a low voice reported. The man it belonged to knelt, his eyes directed towards the floor. This was his first mission for Lord Orochimaru's favorite, and he couldn't fail. Failure here meant instant death... or so he had been told.

The man in front of him smirked slightly. "How many are there?"

"Two, Sir. Male and female.They'll probably be acting as a couple of some sort."

The figure shifted slightly, his hands in front of him in a brooding position. "Who are they?"

The subordinate cleared his throat nervously. "One is a Hyuuga with brown hair. Jounin with the Byakugan eyes. The other is unknown; a girl jounin with pink hair and green eyes. They both have the ANBU tattoo on their shoulders, and are using the names Natsu and Kane."

The man's eyes flicked open briefly in surprise before settling back down. "I see. Tell me when they arrive in Lightning. For now, I don't want them attacked."

"Sir?" the kneeling man looked up in shock. "Why not?"

"I don't believe you have the right to question that." He glared. "I don't want them attacked. That's all you need to know."

The man gulped. "Yes, Sir. Of course. Gomen nasai."

"Don't let it happen again." He waved his hand dismissively, and his informer backed away from the room, shutting the door behind him with an obvious relief. "So..." The man's smirk grew as he examined his hand, "she's ANBU now. That's a surprise." His eyes glimmered, a shimmer of red behind them. "This _will_ be interesting."

---

Sakura woke up to sun streaming through the canopy of the trees above her, their differing shades of green edged with pure gold. She smiled slightly and sat up slowly, stretching languidly. "Natsu-kun?" she looked around, frowning slightly. Where was Neji? She got up and looked behind a wide oak, yawning, and suddenly broke into a grin. Her teammate was sleeeping lightly, his pearl eyes closed as he leaned against the sturdy tree. His head was up, as if he was looking at the sky, and his hands were folded in the typical Hyuuga Neji fashion.

She knelt next to him, smiling slightly at his peaceful face. He always looked so strict and confined in real life... in sleep, though, he looked something close to angelic. The kunoichi couldn't help but blush as she noticed the ripples of his muscles through his shirt... the muscles that you couldn't see under his bulky uniform. She reached out a hand and lightly touched the bandages he wore over his curse mark, making the lines of the X she knew was there. She remembered her poking him in the forehead while he was injured (more to annoy him than anything else) and asking him why he flinched and got so angry. She remembered him slowly unwrapping the bandages and explaining the curse, telling her why it was there, why it hurt him.

She remembered herself gently squeezing his hand and saying that she understood. "_I don't need your pity_", he'd said, and she had smiled and laughed softly and protested that she wasn't giving him pity.

"_I'm showing that I care_", she'd said, and he had looked at her strangely, as if he'd never heard of such a thing before.

"What are you doing?"

Neji's eyes were open now, and Sakura blushed some morewhen she realized that she was still running her hand over the bandages. "Showing that I care," she replied with a smile.

Her companion's eyebrows raised, but he smirked. "You've said that before."

"I know. I was just reminding you." On an impulse, Sakura leaned over and kissed his forehead, in the middle of the bandages. "Natsu-kun."

Neji sat up, a bit of a smile on his face. "Arigato." They stared at each other for a moment, green into white, and an invisible, unvoiced communication flew between them. Then Neji stood up, holding out his hand."Come on, Kane-chan. We should get going."

Sakura blinked, smiled, and took his hand, pulling herself up. "Right. Let's go."


	3. Symphonic

**The Art of Deception**

---

Author's Note: Thanks again for the wonderful reviews! I'm so happy (eh, I'm always happy, but still...) that you like this story that much! I hope you enjoy this new chapter, even if it is kind of short. I had major writer's block. (P.S.-- Sorry for the long wait!)

---

**Scroll III: Symphony of Sound**

_Where are you now?  
As I'm swimming through the stereo,  
I'm writing you a symphony of sound..._

_-- Jack's Mannequin; The Mixed Tape_

---

_Wham!_

Sakura burst into laughter as Neji broke the tree limb he'd run into in half with an angry growl. _Damn thing. In my way._ He reached up to gingerly feel the growing bruise on his cheekbone. It hurt, damn it all. Worse, he'd looked like a complete fool in front of Sakura, who was still throwing her head back in throes of mirth. It wasn't his fault, exactly; they were walking along the path normally (they were inside Lightning, and their act had officially begun, so they couldn't act like shinobi) and he had casually glanced at his companion. Her eyes had been closed as she inhaled the scent of the clearing around them, and her silky pink hair had a sunlit sheen to it from the rays peeking from the leaves of the trees above them. To put it simply, she'd looked gorgeous, and as a typical male, he'd gotten distracted, and, well…

_Fucking tree._

Sakura's laughter dissolved into giggles. "N-Natsu-kun, I didn't know you c-could be that c-c-clumsy," she stuttered, laughing more than talking, eyes alight with humor.

He grimaced. "It was an accident."

"But s-still… y-you should never be so unobservant!" she nearly shrieked with another bout of giggles, putting an affectionate hand on his arm. Her touch, though mostly to steady herself than comfort him, was warm and friendly, and he relaxed slightly.

"Ano, at least I didn't trip over a pebble," he countered with a smirk, remembering her klutzy fall from a couple hours back.

She tried to scowl at him, but her happiness interrupted the would-be-anger. "Oh, whatever. We're almost atLightning anyway, and we shouldn't disrupt the villagers with our lover's quarrels, should we?" She smiled at him easily, reminding him of the mission.

He sighed. "Hai. There's the town square, over there." They were already passing lines of houses and hotels, and even the occasional shop or grocery. People were traveling down the streets happily, normal citizens and shinobi alike. He grabbed her hand and entwined his fingers with hers, reminding himself forcefully that it was for the mission. She didn't seem to flinch at his touch, and even squeezed his hand slightly. "Where are we staying again, Kane-chan?"

Sakura took a typed paper out of her pocket and unfolded it with one hand, the other one still laced with Neji's. "Ano… the Mizu Inn. It's not too far from here, I think." She pointed to an attractive-looking building a little ways away. "That's it."

"Doesn't look too bad," Neji replied, looking around at the people. The two weren't really attracting any unusual attention, except for Sakura. Guys their age (and even older and younger, which made Neji both gag _and_ fume) were eyeing her with nothing short of _want_. Neji growled for the second time in ten minutes, drawing his 'engaged' closer to him and wrapping an arm around her waist with a possessive smirk to the onlookers, who scowled and rolled their eyes and mumbled to themselves angrily.

Sakura gave a small squeak at their closeness. _Well, we _are_ supposed to be engaged, I guess… _With that thought in mind and a light blush on her cheeks, she laced his fingers with her own, squeezing his hand with a radiant smile. "Come on, Natsu-kun, I want to see our hotel!" Still smiling, she tugged on his hand and started running towards the inn, dragging him behind her.

The stiff Hyuuga couldn't help but grin at her obvious excitement. This girl was a walking oxymoron… bright and happy with a quick temper; fierce and powerful with love and caring instincts and a heart on her sleeve. He shook his head in amusement as they neared the building, noticing that many were stopping and smiling with murmurs of 'young love' and 'isn't it wonderful?', and looked at his companion, the small smile still on his face. She was beautiful, and with the ecstatic smiles they had on their faces, it was an amazingly good act that they were performing.

_Unless it isn't an act_, Neji mused with a twinge of disbelief. _No, no, it is an act. At least, it is for me. And it is for her, too._ He frowned slightly. _Damn it, Haruno Sakura, what are you doing to me?_

Breathless and happy, Sakura entered the inn, still towing Neji along like a faithful dog. They walked up to a mahogany desk with an old woman in a beautiful but casual kimono behind it. "Konnichiwa. Can I help you?"

"Ano… hai," Sakura answered, panting slightly. The elderly woman smiled at the red in their cheeks and their heaving chests. "We have a reservation, I think… under Watanabe Kane?"

The woman behind the desk flipped through a folder and smiled. "Ah, ah, hai. You reserved a premium, single-bed room with a balcony."

Sakura and Neji were struck dumb. Tsunade had gotten them a premium room? _A single-bed room?_ "Aa," Neji recovered swiftly, "that must be right. My aunt reserved it for us to celebrate our engagement." He put a hand on Sakura's shoulder and squeezed it gently. The pink kunoichi nearly growled. _I am going to kill Tsunade-shishou..._

"Oh, how sweet!" the woman exclaimed. "I'll have someone escort you to your room, shall I? Ano… Keichi!" She motioned to a man a little older than them with black hair drawn into a ponytail and square reading glasses tucked in his pocket, wearing a plain white yukata.

He nodded to them pleasantly and took their cases, leading them up the stairs of the old-fashioned inn. "You are in room 308," he announced, taking two keys from his pocket. "Here you are," he said, giving one to each of them and opening the door with his own key.

"Domo arigato," Sakura replied gratefully, taking her key and her case and entering the room. Neji followed, but his ivory eyes were fixed on Keichi. He seemed… familiar. Something nagged at his mind, fighting to take shape, but Keichi closed the door with a cheerful smile, leaving him staring at wood.

"Natsu-kun, isn't this beautiful?" Sakura exclaimed, flopping down on the plush bed. The room was tastefully decorated and colored. The walls were a light gold with shining gold sponge-painted in places. The furniture was the same rich color as the front desk had been, and the huge bed was swathed in a thick blanket of emerald, gold, red, pink, and silver designs of a sunset at sea. The balcony overlooked the forest they had come from and the mountains behind it. The view was magnificent, especially when the sun was setting like it was now. Sakura looked at the clock and rubbed her stomach in hunger. It was nearly eight o'clock.

"It's nice," Neji admitted, putting down his case. He chuckled slightly at Sakura's obvious hunger. "Do you want to get dinner?"

"Aa," she said enthusiastically, getting off the bed. One look at her dusty attire, though, and she was forced to sigh. "We'd better change, though."

Neji glanced at his own dirty clothes and nodded his agreement. "I'm going to take a shower," he said. "Are you?"

Sakura looked at her dirt-encrusted fingernails, then at her stomach, and sighed again. "I guess I'd better. You go first, you'll probably be faster."

The dark-haired man nodded and carelessly took off his shirt, leaving Sakura with a perfect view of his well-toned muscles, and grabbed a towel from the rack by the bathroom, entering and closing the door behind him.

Sakura stared after him. _Kami-sama… he is_ fit Inner Sakura decided to poke in with her input, voicing a forceful: **_Hell yes! And looking good when he's sweaty, too!_** Sakura blushed at her own ribald mental comments and shook her head forcefully, taking out her ponytail. _No, Sakura, don't go thinking that… he's a friend and teammate… no thinking about him that way. We're _done_ with human ice cubes._ Inside, she knew that Neji was nothing like Sasuke… Neji was so, so much better a friend and confidante. She could tell him anything, and he'd usually give advice.

She remembered with a small smile how he had coached her to let Rock Lee know that she just wasn't interested with him in _that way_, and that she just wanted to be friends. He'd been right in saying that it wasn't fair to either of them, and so she'd let the 'Green Beast' of Konoha know the next day. A couple hours later, she'd spotted him in Ichiraku with Tenten and had laughed out loud.

Neji's calm efficiency had helped her in many other occasions, too… he always managed to calm her down when she was angry at Tsunade-sama for betting on her success rate or something stupid like that. He was always, he realized with a sudden start, there for her, and she'd never really noticed it. Ino had dropped huge hints, of course, saying things like, 'I saw you talking to Neji-san today' or 'have you heard from Neji-san lately?' or whatever. Sakura had dismissed it as wishful thinking, but now…

She was different now, she reminded herself. She didn't want to fall for any other unfeeling guys that would most likely reject her. And although Neji wasn't Sasuke, the way they 'hn'-ed and crossed their arms when Ino was being annoying was so similar that it almost made her cry. This probably would have made Sasuke snort and say that she was even more annoying than Ino, but anyway…

The thought of Sasuke right now was more than she could bear, and she tried to force it out of her mind. That traitor Uchiha wasn't worth her thinking about, especially during an important mission that required all her thought and wit just to play the part required of her. But Kami-sama, why did she still miss him? Maybe she really didn't miss him, just the fun times she'd had with Team 7 when it was still Team 7. But in any case, things couldn't be the same (for better or for worse) and she had always been slightly hostile to change.

She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't notice Neji walking out of the shower with only a towel around his waist. She didn't see his Byakugan eyes soften at her pitiful state. She had subconsciously drawn her knees to her chest and was burying her face in them, a curtain of cherry blossom hair sweeping over her face.

_She must be thinking about Team 7 and that Uchiha again…_ Neji thought with a silent groan, well-versed in Sakura's rare bouts of depression. Not really thinking about what he was doing, he crossed to the bed and sat next to her, gently stroking her hair. "Kane-chan?" he asked softly. Sakura looked up and sniffed lightly before throwing her arms around his chest. Neji was taken aback, but she wasn't crying. She was just… looking for comfort. Relaxing slightly (but with a blush on his cheeks that would rival the color of her old dress), he put an arm around Sakura's waist and continued stroking her hair with his other hand.

Sakura took a deep breath after a moment and released him, sitting up and smiling apologetically. "Gomen, Natsu-kun," she said in a small voice, a tint to her cheeks when she realized what he was wearing… or rather, the lack of things he was wearing. "I was just… remembering."

Neji put a hand on hers and looked at her seriously. "Don't think about it, Kane-chan. What happened, happened. There's no changing it." His voice was calm and reasonable, but with a hint of concern that had never been there before. "Concentrate instead on what _will_ happen." He gave her a reassuring half-smile and squeezed her hand before pushing her towards the bathroom. "Now, go take a shower. You're not exactly the best-smelling…"

Sakura stuck her tongue out at him but went inside the bathroom. With the hot water clearing her senses, she was able to think more rationally. He was right, of course… when was he not? But still, that touch of emotion that had been in his speech… it was something she'd never expected. This new feeling she was getting was totally new with Neji, but she knew exactly what it felt like. That burning, rising feeling in her chest that she'd always gotten with Sasuke.

It scared her.

Snorting at her melodramatics and nearly inhaling water, she turned off the shower. _I probably just imagined it. After all, we're friends, aren't we? He can't be a human ice block all the time…_She reached for a towel, but her hands felt soft flesh. She gave a little yelp and looked out, covering herself with the shower curtain. "Ne-- Natsu-kun?"

He smirked slightly at her obvious embarrassment. "Just getting a brush," he defended, holding up said object with an amused look in his silver eyes. "It's not like I was looking or anything… who do you think I am, Jiraiya or something? Besides, if I was, why would I want to look at _you_?"

Even with all his reflexes, the Byakugan-wielder barely dodged the bottle of shampoo chucked at his head.

---

Uchiha Sasuke entered the inn as a man with brown hair and blue eyes, his Henge no Jutsu impeccable. For anyone that knew him, however, the cold look behind those eyes, the carefully-hidden loneliness and calculation, were all evident. He gave Keichi a nod, and the employee slid a copy of Neji and Sakura's room key into his hand. "Kabuto."

The disguised man didn't look at Sasuke, merely browsed through papers on the desk. "Hai?"

"Watch them. I don't want the pink-haired one hurt, but feel free to dispose of the Hyuuga. Once he's gone, get her."

Kabuto-as-Keichi nodded in affirmation, still not meeting the prodigy's eye. "Hai," he repeated. "And where should we take her?"

"Just keep her in the room, but seal it effectively. She's weak… you most likely won't have any problems." Sasuke smirked knowingly.

Kabuto looked at his companion for the first time. "Sasuke-kun… it wouldn't do to underestimate her. I've heard that she's gro-"

"There's nothing to estimate with her, under or over," he interrupted, examining the key. "Here they come." He turned his Sharingan off and watched as the two descended the stairs. The kunoichi seemed to be blushing and arguing with the long-haired boy next to her as they walked. They were, he noticed, in casual wear: both wearing jeans, with Sakura in a tight white T-shirt and her hair loose and flowing, and Neji in a T-shirt/over-shirt combo in varying shades of blue. His hearing caught the words "bathroom", "brush", and "pervert." As they neared, he heard Sakura protest huffily, "There is _so_ something to see, you hentai, not that I'd let you. Maybe someone nicer, like… Kiba-kun, or Gaara-san…"

She grinned triumphantly at his indignant, "_nani?_" as they passed the desk, unaware of two pairs of eyes following them. "Jealous, Natsu-kun?" she cooed, relishing his acute irritation.

He wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, catching her off guard as he stopped her movement right behind the disguised Sasuke and Kabuto. "Of course," he said silkily into her ear. "You're my future wife, after all."

Sakura shivered slightly and looked at Neji with wide eyes. She had no idea he could be this… this… _seductive_. "L-let's go to dinner, ne?" she said quickly, narrowing her eyes at his smirk.

"Whatever you say, Kane-chan." He kissed her lightly on the temple and released her, the two walking out the doors of the inn. Behind them, Sasuke narrowed his eyes. Was the Hyuuga… flirting with her? Even if it _was_ just part of the mission, he felt a twinge of annoyance. How dare he? She was his, respectively, and one foolish mission wasn't going to change that.

He remembered when he'd last seen her. She had been so angry at her teammate… what was his name? Sigh? Slay? Ah, no, it was Sai, the once-betrayer. She had practically strangled him, but (and here he shook his head with the confidence that nothing had changed) when he'd said her name, she had looked up at him with such wide eyes of fear and relief and anger all at once… then the dobe had come and stared at him for a moment, too.

She had reveled in his power, he knew that, but she was too shell-shocked to do anything other than heal her teammates with a couple simple jutsus that he himself knew from Kabuto's small bit of medic training. She was still weak. She would always be weak.

"Sasuke-kun."

Kabuto himself interrupted his reverie, raising an eyebrow at the glaring Uchiha before him. "What do you want to do now?"

Sasuke looked at the happy 'couple' on their way and smirked. "I'm going to dinner."


	4. Honest

**The Art of Deception**

---

Author's Note: Wow, you guys really like this story, don't you? I'm soooo glad you do. Again, I'm sorry that the last chapter was so short, but it was almost purely a NejiSaku fluff chapter, so there was hardly any plot-forwarding. This chapter will definitely move the story along a bit, but with the same amount of fluff involved. Jackpot, eh?

---

**Scroll IV: Honest**

_Please don't mind what I'm trying to say,  
cause I'm, I'm being honest...  
--Cartel; Honestly_

---

Red-tinted blue eyes watched carefully as Neji and Sakura sat down at a sushi restaurant, looking exactly as if they were on a... a date. _A date_. It was almost more than the disguised Uchiha Sasuke could comprehend. As if seeing Hyuuga Neji actually with a girl wasn't weird enough, the Byakugan-user just _had_ to take the only woman he'd ever felt anything for and be on an undercover mission with her. Damn it all. If Neji's hand got any closer to hers, and if he hadn't been an Uchiha, Sasuke would have charged over there with a kunai, killed Neji, and blown his cover. Thankfully for both shinobi, he resisted the urge and breathed in deeply, working on masking his surely-pulsing chakra.

"Ano... Sir?"

The poor hostess was the one that bore the brunt of his hostile stare. "Nani?" he asked sharply.

She flinched, as though his single word had struck her. "W-would... ano, would you like to have a seat?"

He kept his gaze on her, watching indifferently as she trembled. "Hai. Over there, please." The hostess nodded frantically and led him to said table (_conveniently_ near to Neji and Sakura's), and he sat, acute hearing picking up every word and he pretended to scan the menu.

"Natsu-kun?" he heard Sakura's voice, slightly worried, and with an undertone of puzzlement, sound from next to him. That voice... that had kept him up at night. _"I love you with all my heart. Sasuke-kun."_

"Hn?" Neji's response was noncommital. The brown-haired ninja looked at the menu, looking at it for anything that would satisfy his now-intense hunger.

"How long do you think we'll be here?" she asked, playing with her water glass.

Neji shrugged absently. "I don't know. Until we find something. Tsunade-sama gave us those scrolls, so I guess that if she needs us to come home, she'll tell us."

Sasuke frowned. Scrolls? What kind of scrolls? _Communication scrolls_, he thought with a burst of recognition. That was the only way they could talk, anyway, without the messages being intercepted.

There was silence for a moment until Sakura spoke again, her pitch lighter this time. "This is a nice place, don't you think? Kiba-kun and I went to a place like this once."

Both Sasuke and Neji stiffened, but Sakura didn't seem to notice. She was playing with a chopstick, twirling it in her fingers with utmost concentration.

"The mutt?"

Sakura scowled at the chopstick. "Don't call him tha-"

"When did you ever go out with him?" Neji's white eye twitched slightly, but his face was unreadable as always.

Sakura gazed boredly at the twirling utensil in her hands, lithe fingers slipping in and out of vision. "Hm? Oh, I don't know. A couple days ago, I think."

"He's dating Temari-san, isn't he?"

The pink-haired kunoichi sighed, rolling her eyes and looking Neji in the eye for the first time, chopstick still whirring perfectly between her slim digits. "Kami-sama, Nastu-kun. It was a _friendship_ date."

"There's no such thing as a 'friendship date', Kane-chan," Neji said in a stern voice, looking at her intensely. "That's a contradiction in terms."

"There is, too such a thing!" she protested hotly, never missing a beat, the chopstick still going, though a little faster this time. "I'd watched Akamaru for him while he was in Suna, and he treated me for lunch." She paused, eyes narrowed, with a small smirk on her face. "Are you jealous _again_, Nastu-kun? I didn't know it was in your nature."

Neji folded his arms. "Well, you are my fiance, as I said."

"Well, then. Kane-chan certainly is. But is _Neji_ jealous?" To anyone else, this would have seemed completely ludicrous, but Sasuke listened carefully, not noticing that he was gripping his own chopsticks tightly.

Another pause permeated the table, pregnant and full, letting the other conversations of the restaurant seep in.

"Just looking out for you."

"Mm-hm. Sure." Sakura looked smugly at her chopstick, continuing to play with it.

Neji was irritated. She couldn't get the better of a Hyuuga! Smirking slightly, he leaned over the table and whispered lightly in her ear, relishing the shudder that passed down her spine. "You don't appreciate my concern for you, _Kane-chan_?"

Sakura missed a twirl, and the chopstick clattered to the table. A blush spread across her cheeks, and Neji smirked again, kissing her lightly, chastely, on the cheek and sitting back, watching with delight as she stuttered like his cousin. All his irritation was, suddenly, quite gone.

_Snap._

Sasuke looked down at his chopsticks to find with mild and not-shown surprise that they had snapped cleanly in half from his death grip. Thankfully, his targets hadn't seen or heard...

"Erm... can I get you some new chopsticks, Sir?" a waitress asked softly. Without speaking, Sasuke handed them to her, and she gave him a new pair, quickly walking to Neji and Sakura's adjacent table. "Would you like to order?" she asked them.

"Oh, hai," Sakura said, fighting down her blush. "Green tea and eel rolls, please."

"Of course. And you?" She turned to Neji.

"Same."

Sasuke watched as Sakura stood after the waitress left, tugging slightly on her shirt. "I'll be right back," she assured the Hyuuga in front of her. She strode to the bathroom. When Neji's head was turned, so did Sasuke, walking calmly after her. He waited until she came out, and "accidentally" bumped into her.

"Oh! Gomen nasai," she apologized, looking up at him. Her guilty smile faded when she saw his eyes. It looked... like... the _Sharingan_... No, it couldn't be! His eyes... this man's eyes... were blue, not red or black. "S...Sasuke," she said lowly, wearily, not really meaning to say it out loud. She looked at the man in alarm. "Gomen," she repeated. "You're not... ano... gomen."

She made to leave, but he touched her gently on the shoulder. "Excuse me," he said gruffly. "My name is Mezumi Rai. I've never heard of this 'Sasuke'. Do I look much like him?"

Sakura answered with a small, sad smile. "Vaguely. Very vaguely."

"Gomen for bumping into you, Miss...?"

"Ah... Watanabe Kane," she answered quickly, holding out her hand with a truly 'Sakura' grin.

He bowed over her hand and kissed it gently, almost a brush of lips rather than pressure. "Watanabe-san. I believe I saw you at the Mizu Inn?"

She looked slightly surprised, at either his touch or his comment. Or maybe both. He held onto her hand. "Probably. That's where I'm staying."

"The man I saw you with, then? A friend?"

"Her engaged," a serious voice said from behind her. Neji eyed their joined hands and put an arm around her waist. Sakura looked at him with a light flush.

"Lucky man," the Uchiha said with a small smile, almost more like a smirk. He released her hand. "I wish you both the best."

"Ah... arigato," Sakura answered hesitantly, grasping Neji's hand in a tight, comforting gesture. His chakra level went down a bit, calmed. "Natsu-kun, this is Mezumi Rai-san. Mezumi-san, this is my fiancee, Sato Nastuhito. Nastu-kun, he's also staying at the Mizu Inn."

"How interesting," Neji said, with the air of one being completely uninterested. "Kane, sweet, our food is here," he said to her. "Excuse us," he returned to 'Mezumi Rai', leading his wife-to-be away from the man. He hardly believed what he'd said. _Sweet? Damn, I sound like Naruto._

Uchiha Sasuke smirked wider from beneath his disguise, retreating from the restaurant without another glance. The tiny recorder he'd placed in her 'engagement ring' would start recording very, very soon... he'd be able to hear whatever happened for the next 48 hours. After that, he planned to 'bump' into the couple again.

Sakura, meanwhile, was eating contentedly, ignoring the angry gazes her companion kept on shooting at nothing particular. Finally, though, she set down her chopsticks with a small slap and stared at him. "What is it?"she asked, exasperated. "Do I have something on my face?"

Neji sighed, annoyed. "No, I'm just watching."

"Natsu-kun, you'll give it all away if you act like... well... _you_. Be a normal person for once and eat, damn it! I can hear your stomach from over here!" That being said, she pushed his uneaten food towards him, and watched with triumph as he resignedly picked up his chopsticks. "That wasn't so hard, was it?" she cooed. "How is it?"

He humphed. "It's good," he managed, taking another huge bite.

He didn't think that her knowing grin deserved a response.

---

"I'm not sleeping with you, Kane."

"Shut up, Natsu-kun," Sakura said with a groan. "It's just a bed. If we want this to look realistic..."

"Who's going to look in on us at night?" he demanded, making his way to the bathroom to change. Sakura was already in a tank top and a pair of panties (he had had great trouble not looking at her smooth, slim legs) and was now tucking herself into the giant bed.

"Perverts, the hotel owner, I don't know! What I do know is that we're engaged, and you can't even sleep in the bed with me!" _She's a good actress_, Neji thought with a small smirk as she continued her rant. "Get your damned butt in here or I'll get it in myself!"A pause, then a groan. "That sounded wrong."

"Hai, it did." Regardless, she kept on pleading, her bottom lip stuck out in an exaggerated pout. Neji growled angrily. "Fine, woman! I'll sleep with you!"

"...that sounded wrong, too."

"Shut up."

Sakura was already asleep when Neji emerged from the bathroom, clad in only pajama bottoms. Her hair was tucked in a low ponytail, with her bangs hanging limply, the opaque pink covering her eyes. Her mouth was open slightly, her chest rising and falling. One hand was under the pillow and another was curling the covers around her to cutely cover her face.

Neji smiled slightly and took out his hair tie, lying down next to her and slipping the covers over his muscled form. Struck by a sudden impulse, the chestnut-haired jounin tucked Sakura's pink bangs behind her ear, giving him a view of her face from the side. He traced her jawline softly before realizing what he was doing, and quickly pulled the covers up, ashamed with himself.

_It's all her fault._

---

And he was thinking that again, strongly, when he woke up to find his arms around hershoulders and her face in his chest. Her hands were on his abdomen, and his were playing with her hair. His chin was on top of her head, and she was breathing lightly onto his chest. Sunlight streamed through the curtains on the windows, and his white eyes noticed with considerable widening that one of her legs was on top of both of his and hooked under one, rather possessively.

"Natsu-kun?" she murmured lightly, eyes fluttering open. Neji quickly retracted his hands, letting go of her hair rather sharply. She winced slightly but looked at him with a dreamy smile. "Good morning...?" She looked down and seemed infinitely more awake all of a sudden, removing her hands from his chest and untangling their legs. "Ano... gomen," she said with a fierce blush, rubbing the back of her neck as she sat up on her knees.

Neji sat up as well, trying not to let a blush come to his own face. "No, it's okay," he said, a little stiffly. "An accident."

"Right. Hai. An accident." She said it as if she was reassuring both of them.

Neji looked away. "Shower?"

"Hai, I'll go first," she said quickly, nearly running to the bathroom.

Neji finally relaxed, relaxing against the bed with a large exhale. The sexual tension in the air was slowly disspating, but he still felt her silky hair in his fingers, her fingers tracing the lines of his stomach. _Snap out of it_, he commanded himself. _It was an accident, after all_. He kneaded his forehead with his fists, rubbing vigorously where the curse mark laid under his bandages.

"I'm done, Natsu-kun," a timid voice said from behind him. Neji turned and quickly reversed, blushing heavily (to his shame). _The towels in this place are too damned small_, he raged mentally. "Natsu-kun?"

He whirled around, not able to cover the redness of his cheeks. "Right. Arigato."

Sakura smiled slightly at the blush her fiancee sported, but wisely didn't say anything. As he showered and she changed, her grin stayed in place. It was obvious that poor Hyuuga Neji was flustered by the compromising position they'd been in (she didn't blame him) and the fact that she'd walked out of the bathroom in nothing but a towel?

As she was pulling on a pair of shorts, Sakura stopped, open-mouthed. Was he... did he... _like_ her? No. There was no way. This was Hyuuga Neji! The second-coldest man in Konoha (well, actually first, if you didn't count Sasuke). He couldn't like anyone like that!

Her mind frantically replayed the events of the past days. The mild seduction, the jealousy when she was caught with Mezumi-san, the tenderness in which he'd comforted her on the journey to Lightning, and now the terribly cute blush when he'd seen her half-naked?

It all added up, but...

No.

The seduction was just to irritate and fluster her, of course. She _had_ been slightly annoying towards him right before that. The jealousy was probably either fake or simply anger that she'd been gone longer, making him wait to eat... she'd noticed that he was practically starving when she had left to go to the restroom. The kindness that he'd shown her on the way here was probably just regular kindness. I mean, he was one of her best friends, right? It was merely brotherly caring.

Right.

That had to be the explanation. It was, after all, the only logical thing.

"Kane?"

Her head turned of its own accord at hearing the voice of the person she'd been thinking about. "Natsu-kun?"

"Are you planning on finishing getting dressed?" he asked with an amused smirk.

Sakura looked down at herself, her hands still grasping the belt of her shorts, and blushed for around the fifth time in ten minutes when she realized that the only thing she had on was her pink bra, and the underwear peeking out from her not-yet-fastened shorts. "Ahm..." She giggled nervously. "Hai. I just got distracted."

Neji sighed and shook his head in amused confusion. "You amaze me, Kane."

She smiled and pulled a polo shirt over her head. "I try." She put her ring on, tied her hair up in a messy bun, and followed him out the door. They walked downstairs happily, exchanging comments and small compliments and grins, and grabbed a muffin each for breakfast.

"Watanabe-san," a low voice called from behind them.

Sakura turned to see Mezumi Rai sitting down, a cup of tea in his hand. "Mezumi-san! Good morning," she answered cheerfully, waving.

"Good morning to you two, as well," he said gravely, nodding to Neji, who stiffly repeated the gesture. "What are you two doing today?"

Sakura shrugged slightly. "We're going to ask someone what we could do."

The woman at the desk from yesterday spoke up with a small laugh. "You came at a wonderful time," she announced. "This week is the Spring Flower Festival. It's very fun; there's entertainment, street vendors... it's very crowded around here this time of year." She gave them a kind smile. "There's always something to do here now."

Sakura nodded with a smile of thanks. "Come on, Natsu-kun, let's see the festival! Sayonara, Mezumi-san!"

"Sayonara." The tall man inclined his head and watched as they ran (or rather, Neji was dragged) out the doors. He looked at Keichi and nodded slightly, and the disguised Kabuto left the room.

---

"What should we do first?" Sakura asked Neji, linking arms with him and holding his hand.

Neji looked around the milling streets. "Anything that looks suspicious," he answered. "Remember, we're looking for Sound, so any trick, anything that has to do with sound of any sort, we'll have to check it out."

Sakura nodded, but she was completely taken by the contagious happiness of the streets. Vendors shouted their cold wares as the sun beat down on the pedestrians. Shop stalls lined the places unoccupied by buildings, flashing attractive fabrics and little trinkets to take home. A thin string of musical notes hit her ears, and she turned to her right, seeing musicians. "Let's go hear!" she said excitedly, pulling a groaning Neji towards the sounds.

To their surprise (and in Neji's case, suspicion), Keichi from the hotel was there, holding a flute. A woman with flowing black hair delicately plucked the strings of a shamisen, while another man hit a drum with a deliciously pounding rhythm. When they started playing, Sakura felt like she was in heaven. The tones wove together and spread out again, pitches full and rich at times, then delicate and soft at others. The drum seemed to meet the beating of her heart, and she didn't notice Keichi staring at her.

Neji did, and gave the musician a glare so hostile, so forbidding, that it would have scared any man out of his wits. However, the man simply raised an eyebrow and respectively reverted his eyes, continuing his playing while not missing a beat. "Kane," Neji whispered into her ear. She didn't look at him and answered with a halfhearted 'what'.

He frowned and shook her gently. She didn't look at him. He pinched her arm. No response. Neji stood in front of her, starting to get worried. When the music stopped and applause filled the air, she didn't stir. She continued to look in the distance with a dreamy look on her face, a small, contented smile stretching across her features. "Neji," she said lightly, forgetting his fake name, "wasn't that lovely? Come on, let's go meet the musicians."

Before he could protest, her hand was around his wrist and pulling him with her damned amazing strength towards the platform. "That was amazing," she said weakly, staring at Keichi and the others.

The woman smiled slightly, though it was more of a smirk than a smile. "Arigato," she said rather smugly.

The man with the drums didn't say anything, but turned away, fiddling with something behind the platform. Keichi, however, stepped down and bowed. "Domo arigato, miss. I'm glad you enjoyed it." He turned to Neji. "You, Sir... you didn't enjoy it?" There was an insolent smile playing on his lips.

Neji, with one eye on Sakura, released his wrist from her death grip with some difficulty and dragged Keichi to a corner out of hearing. "What did you do to my fiance?" he asked furiously. "She's in a daze!"

"Good music does that to some of us, Sir," Keichi answered with a sarcastic twist of the lips. "To the real appreciators."

"Good music doesn't literally turn people into puppets," Neji hissed. "How do I snap her out of it?"

Keichi shrugged disrespectfully. "Well, I don't know, Sir. I suppose you'd have to kiss her or something."

Neji froze.

The hotel worker smirked slightly. "That isn't a problem, is it? Like you said, she's your fiance."

Angry, Neji mentally cursed. How was he supposed to... when she was... well. Damn it, he'd have to, wouldn't he? "There isn't a problem," he answered coolly, walking over to Sakura. He stared at her dazed face hesitantly for a moment, then leaned in...

"Natsu?" her voice was limp, and the hazy look was slowly going out of her jade eyes. "What happened? Is the concert over?"

Neji breathed a mental heavy sigh of relief and put an arm around her shoulders. "Come on, Kane. We're leaving." From the corner of his eye, he saw Keichi smirking, and resolved to beat the man up when they saw him again. There was something infinitely suspicious about him... about the whole group of musicians. Sakura sagged against him alarmingly, and he glanced at her, seeing her face pale. "Here, you're worn out. We'll get something to eat." He firmly grasped her around the waist and led her to a food stall. "What do you want?"

"Um... dumplings, please," she answered, voice frail.

Neji practically force-fed her. To others, it may have looked cute, seeing him feed her, but she could hardly hold up the stick. "Kane, are you all right? That music must have had some trancelike effect..."

Revived slightly, Sakura sat up and grabbed the stick of food from him, eating more. "I'm fine," she said, voice stronger. "Just... tired. Do you really think that the music had a trance in it or something? If it did, why weren't you affected?"

Neji frowned. "I don't know," he said, hating to admit it, "but hurry up and eat. We should investigate further. That Keichi guy has something to do with something bad, whether it's Orochimaru or not."

Sakura nodded and disposed of the stick, standing up by herself and walking freely. "I feel much better now," she said after a while. "Arigato for taking care of me. And don't say it's because I'm engaged to you," she added hastily, for his mouth was open, "you're using that excuse too much lately. You care about me, and it's nice. Don't worry." She smiled at him, and he couldn't help but give her a reluctant grin back. "Now," she said happily, breaking the mood and making Neji all but fall over in surprise, "let's look for something else to do! Oooh, look at that kimono, Nastu!" She led him towards a stall filled to the brim with beautiful fabrics and started browsing, leaving Neji to lean against the wall, arms folded.

_So this is what it's like to have a girlfriend..._

---

As soon as they got back to the hotel, after they'd finished their respective shopping or spying and the sun was setting, Neji grabbed Sakura's wrist and marched straight up to the woman behind the desk. "Is Keichi available? I'd like to speak to him."

The woman frowned, troubled, as she noted his glare. "Well... no, Sir. He quit just a while ago and left. Said he was heading to where he could make better use of himself. Is there something you need help with?"

Neji exhaled through clenched teeth, producing a hissing sound, and Sakura put a calming hand on his arm. "No," she replied, answering for him, "we don't. We would just like to speak with him... we heard him playing with a group of musicians before, and it was very good. We wanted to ask him about it."

"Oh, then gomen nasai." The woman shook her head. "He was a good employee, too, only if he did stay for a couple days."

Neji looked up, white eyes furrowed in a frown. "Only a couple days? How long was he here?"

"Well, he came around two days before you did," she answered, leafing through papers, "asking for a job. We'd been shorthanded, you see, so I let him have be an all-purpose sort of guy... leading to the rooms, serving meals, and such. I never thought he'd leave so soon, but good help is hard to find these days, isn't that what they say?" She chuckled to herself. "If you like music, though, there's an outdoor concert in the park in about an hour. Lots of people will be there, and there will be different shows afterwards. I'm sure you'd enjoy it." She looked at them eagerly. "It's a great place for couples."

Sakura blushed prettily and smiled. "Well, I'm sure we'll be glad to check it out," she said, tugging on Neji's hand. "It sounds like fun, doesn't it, Nastu-kun?"

"Tremendously so," he answered drlyly, earning a chuckle from the old woman.

"Now, I'm sure you'll have a good time. They serve dinner, there, too, but it's rather formal, so I'd suggest dressing as if you're going to a nice evening party. Dresses and all that."

"It sounds great. Arigato, Nitta-san!" Sakura and Neji climbed the stairs quickly, thoughts running through each mind. "So, Keichi came two days before us?" she murmured to him as they passed another couple. "Sounds kind of suspicious."

Neji nodded, the frown still etched on his handsome features as they arrived at their room. "He reminds me of someone... I just don't know who." He turned to her, frown deepening. "Why are we going to that stupid concert thing?"

She sighed and turned the key in the lock, pushing open the door. "Relax. It's a good chance to look around more and easier.It'll be nighttime, right? You can use Byakugan without being sighted. And besides, it _does_ sound like fun." She entered the room and shoved open the closet. "But what to wear... something 'rather formal'?" She mumbled to herself as she pawed through the contents of the closet, and Neji rolled his eyes.

"Why do girls care so much about what they wear?" he asked, more to himself than her, but she heard anyway.

"It gives everyone an impression on who they are," she answered. "Besides, when you're a girl and you meet another girl, practically the first thing you look at is what they're wearing. First impressions, you know?"

"...sure." He brought out the red shirt and a pair of black pants, eyeing the shirt with a suppressed sigh.

Sakura looked at it. "Wow, that's so cute!" she practically squealed, diving at him and snatching it from his grasp. "Who would think that you had a sense of fashion!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" he snapped, grabbing it back.

She scoffed at him. "Well, you always either wear those damned baggy white clothes or your ANBU uniform. I'm the only one that's seen you in normal, fashionable clothes. But that really is nice. Did you get it?"

He didn't answer. Let her think what she would; but there wasn't really any harm innottelling her that Ino picked it. She wouldn't go crazy just because he was _implying_ that he himself bought it, that he himself had a so-called 'sense of style'... "What are you, wearing, then?" he heard himself asking scornfully as he faced her. "If it's so important?"

She was going through her closet again. "Ano... well, Ino bought me this one dress, but I'm, ah... not sure if I should wear it..."

"Why not?" he asked. "Is it 'cute'? Is it acceptable to be seen in?" His voice was dripping with sarcasm that was not lost on his bride-to-be.

She scowled at him. "It's definitely cute, and it's acceptable... I think. But..."

"Then wear it, damn it!" Neji growled, going into the bathroom. "It's just a dress!"

"Well, fine, Mr. Grouchy!" she yelled, grabbing said slinky dress and tossing off her clothes. _Well, he didn't see it... no wonder he doesn't care if I wear it or not..._ She slipped it on and stared in the mirror, amazed. _Wow, Ino was right. I look... well..._ She suppressed a grin. _Sexy, damn it. **Hell yes, girl! Knock 'em dead!**_

Neji walked out of the bathroom seven minutes later, fidgeting slightly in the dressy clothes. He was definitely going to kill Tsunade, Hokage or not. "Are you ready yet?" he asked irritably, looking up. "Because... because... cause... ano... Sak-- Kane..." He trailed off weakly, white eyes wide and a blush streaked across his face.

Sakura looked at him with a bright smile. "Aa, I'm ready! This is going to be so much fun!"

Neji only stared.

The dress she was wearing was... sexy, to say the least. It was a dark greenish-blue with a spattering of tiny sequins up her right side that had a handkerchief hem and went to just above her knees. It had a shirred bodice and was tight enough to noticeably enhance her smooth, already-perfect curves. It pushed her up in front enough to give just the right amount of cleavage, and it was a spaghetti-strap that ended a couple inches above her butt, giving him a clear view of her smooth, creamy skin on her back. She wore silvery sandals with just enough heel to look good. Silver earrings dangled delicately from her earlobes, with crystal at the bottom, and she'd taken off her engagement ring, stringing it through a thin silver chain necklace so that it hung enticingly from her neck.

Meanwhile, Sakura was checking out her date with a bit more than satisfaction, the black pants fashionably straight, the deep red shirt enhancing his eyes. It was untucked casually, with a couple buttons undone at the top, giving a view of his collarbone. A strand of hair from his ponytail covered his shoulder, while another flopped in front of his eyes... _Wow. He looks... great!_ It was the cool, relaxed, yet incredibly hot look only select few could pull off... **_Damn, Konoha has some fine men..._** Inner Sakura mused with a grin, clenching her fist with a hearty "**_SHANNAROOOO!_**"

Sakura patted her carefully-coiffed hair, set in a semi-fancy updo, and looked at him. "Do you like it?" she asked, oblivious to his stares.

"Ano... hai," he mumbled, looking away quickly. "It's very nice."

"I'm glad," she answered, looking at herself in the mirror. She glanced at him and frowned slightly. "Natsu, you can't have your hair in a high ponytail! That's too casual. Here." She crossed swiftly over to him (he wondered how the hell she could even walk in those heels) and took out the black band holding his hair in place and sweeping it back into a medium ponytail, her fingers running through his hair. "You have soft hair, Natsu-kun," she murmured.

"Arigato," he thanked her awkwardly, stepping back. A small smile adorned his features at her obvious excitement to going to a party, even if she _was_ on a mission. "Come on, then. Let's go."

She smiled at him and held his hand. "Let's."


	5. No Other

**The Art of Deception**

---

Author's Note: This is my most popular story! It's my own personal record! Haha, sorry for my obvious excitement, but it is pretty cool: 90+ reviews for four semi-short chapters? Not baddd... and I won't even mention the number of hits this story is getting. I'm glad you guys all like TAoD. Sound's getting a little evil, aren't they? I'm sorry again about the length of this chapter (or lack of it) but I'm in rather a hurry. After July 9th, I won't be able to update for three weeks. Yes, three weeks. I'm sorry, but I'm going on an extended vacation.

---

**Scroll V: No Other**

_Even when your hope is gone,  
move along, move along, like I know you do..._

_--All-American Rejects; Move Along_

---

The park was lit with the kind of light only a the moon can give; silvery and beautiful, cool and exciting and calming all at once. Trees waved slightly in the soft breeze, stirring Neji and Sakura's hair and tickling their faces. Sakura glanced slightly at Neji and admired not for the first time how handsome he was. The stern lines of his jaw were complimented by a strong neck and broad shoulders. He was extremely tall, towering over her by around a head. She always felt dwarfed by him, and even though she knew she could kick his ass into the mud if she wanted to, she always felt that he wouldn't hesitate to protect her in any way.

It was a good feeling.

The two mingled with the other couples, strolling through the grass and just generally being normal. Even Neji was relaxed, actually smiling at her a couple times when she laughed in the joy of being able to act herself for once. She wasn't normally a party person, and neither was Neji (though she was certainly energetic enough), but for this time alone she felt like she could loosen up and have a good time.

That was a good feeling, too.

Alas, it of course wouldn't last, but she was perfectly in her rights to enjoy it while she could, wasn't she? As the music pounded into a rhythmic dance tune, she turned to Neij with a smile. "Dance with me," she commanded.

The white-eyed Hyuuga raised an eyebrow but nodded, thinking it would, after all, look natural for a couple to be dancing at a party. In fact, it would probably look weird if they didn't. He allowed her to twist so that her back was facing him and sway her hips seductively, moving her arms silkily. Many a male in the vicinity was shuffling slowly closer to her, but Neji was ahead of them all, with hands on her shaking hips and a chin over her shoulder.

The whole place seemed to slow by huge degrees, the music seemingly going much slower, the beat going gradual. They were looking at each other closely, unaware of the other couples around them dancing in a similar fashion, unaware of two cold blue eyes watching every move, unaware of everything but each other. Every toss of the head, every lick of the lips, every guided circling of hips, every breathless touch as abdoments stretched and hearts pounded, was another rule broken, another guarded wall crumbling to the ground. Every motion was another forbidden whisper, another day and night spent dreaming about love and passion and another timeless yearning.

Neji could hardly believe what he was doing. Here he was, dancing like he'd never danced before (contrary to popular belief, he _had_ danced a couple times) with a girl that was supposed to be one of his best friends, his best medic-- indeed, the best medic in Konoha... a girl with startling pink hair and soulful seafoam eyes, with her heart proudly on her sleeve, a girl who was now rubbing against him in a manner that defied any plausible explanation.

Sakura turned so that she was facing him, and every intelligent thought was immediately silenced as the song changed and her arms went around his neck. Now he could actually see those sparkling eyes, the strands of hair that had fallen out from her heated dancing, the flush that was rising into her cheeks from both the dance and the closeness to Konoha's own most-hot-eligible-bachelor.

"We're supposed to be on a mission," he mumbled to her, slightly dumbstruck as they swayed together. Not really knowing or caring what he was doing, he leaned down so that his forehead was touching hers.

"Tsunade-shishou said to act like a couple, right?" she countered innocently, a small smile on her lips. "Well, this is couple-ish."

"Definitely," was all he could manage as their noses touched, the lightest of touches, and yet it sent a shock of electricity and something else, something worse but at the same time infinitely better, down their spines.

From a couple yards away, Sasuke and Kabuto watched with barely-disguised shock. Kabuto tilted his head. "They make a good couple, Sasuke-kun." He merely grinned at the withering look that was passed his way. "I'm serious. They seem to be very into their acting, don't you think?"

"They're on a mission to stop our assassination of the Kage of Lightning," the Uchiha said through gritted teeth, ignoring the females that were batting their eyelashes at him, even in a disguise. "They need to be good actors."

"Almost as if they're not acting..." Kabuto glanced casually at Uchiha Sasuke and raised his eyebrows as he glared at the dancing couple.

"Focus," his rough voice commanded, "on what you are going to do."

"Take out the Hyuuga and knock out the pink girl. Take her to the base and continue with the original mission." He recited it as a lesson well-learned, a book memorized.

"Then get on with it."

Kabuto vanished.

Sakura tilted her head towards Neji's. "You know... we really shouldn't be doing this." It was a weak protest, and she didn't have any heart in it, and he knew it.

Neji smirked. "I don't care. Neither should you. Tsunade-sama should have thought of the consequences when she assigned us to this mission."

Sakura's eyes flew open. "Damn her, I bet she already did."

They chuckled lightly together, hands pressed against each other. "She's smarter than she lets on," Neji murmured, watching with a slight sense of triumph as a pink blush skirted across Sakura's cheeks.

"Mm-hm." It was more than he could bear. That simple answer... the way her lips rolled... it was driving him crazy. There was no way he could survive like this without... well...

Sakura squeaked when she felt a small pressure on her lips and opened her eyes.

They immediately closed.

Neji tightened his hold on her, but to the contrary, his kisses grew softer, gentler, as they continued. "I'm sorry," he said roughly as she opened her eyes, slightly dazed.

"For what?" she asked simply. "That was... well..."

He smirked. So he was a good kisser? That was good to know. He tucked a strand of stray pink hair behind her ear. "For not realizing it sooner. I was an idiot."

"No kidding."

He mock-glared at her, and she laughed, kissing him lightly on the cheek. "Joking, sweets, I was joking." Suddenly, he stiffened, and Sakura frowned in concern. "What is it?"

"Someone's watching us. _Byakugan_." The jutsu was added quietly, and she could vaguely see chakra veins spreading from his eyes as he scanned the crowd. A black shadow streaked over them, but was gone in a matter of seconds."No one remarkable here," he murmured. "But who jumped over us? That was a shinobi leap... where did they go?"

Sakura's eyes widened suddenly, her extra-heightened senses feeling the kunai before she even heard it. "Neji, DUCK!" she shouted, forgetting to use his code name and shoving him down. The weapon sped past them, embedding itself in an unlucky innocent behind them. Several women shrieked, and the crowd went into a frenzy. The music stopped, filling the air with the sounds of screams and pounding feet as everyone ran for cover. More kunais sped through the air, hitting and killing various civilians.

The mulling crowd pressed against the couple, forcing them apart. Neji's Byakugan eyes widened. "Sakura!" he shouted as he saw her being pushed away by the crowd. He growled angrily, eyes now narrowing, and pushed his way through. "Get out of the _way_, damn it!"

An angry shriek distorted the air. Neji froze. _Sakura_. "SAKURA!" He ran forward with a new strength, shoving through the crowd.

Sakura's voice rang out again. "Kabuto, you _bastard!_"

She was standing in front of him, eyes filled with a rage that seemed lethal. The glasses-wearing ninja smirked. "What? I just wanted to interrupt your fun with your new boyfriend. By the way, how did you get him to kiss you like that? Isn't he one of the coldest men of Konoha? Second, I think, only to Sasuke-kun... but you have a habit of falling for the types that don't really care about you, don't you?"

"SHUT UP!" A handful of shuriken tore through Kabuto's clothing, drawing blood and leaving him slightly surprised. "You don't know anything about it!" Her face suddenly contorted as the meaning of his words sunk in. "Where's Sasuke?" she growled.

"He's been here all along, Pink," he taunted, holding up a kunai. "Watching you the whole time. He wants me to take you without injury, you know."

"I don't give a damn about what he thinks," she spat, stepping towards him menacingly. "And I'd prefer talking to the real Kabuto, if you don't mind." She looked up in the trees as the bunshin disappeared. The silver-haired man sighed from his perch on the branch and dropped to the ground in front of her.

"You've changed, haven't you?" he remarked. "I mean, I'd only heard rumors, but... ANBU now, are you? And, ah... a medic? I guess we'll find out how advanced a medic you are when you have to heal your boyfriend's wounds..."

Sakura snapped, her inner self immediately shouting a forceful **_"kick the bastard's sorry ass!"_**. Charging at her opponent, she didn't sense the person behind her... not with his perfectly-masked chakra. She didn't see him, not when Kabuto was shifting into a defensive position. She realized he was there a second too late, and when she turned, his hand was already at her neck, his thumb at a place she recognized painfully.

_"Thank you."_ That was what he'd said before he had pressed his thumb into her neck, rendering her unconscious and leaving her without love, with a fear of ever loving anyone again. She looked at the person behind her, Mezumi Rai... or Uchiha Sasuke. "S-Sasuke..." She murmured as her vision slowly disappeared. "Don't... don't hurt Neji..."

She didn't see his glare at the mention of the Hyuuga's name; she was already knocked out.

Neji sprinted from the mulling crowd just in time to see the pink-haired girl slump to the ground from a touch by Mezumi Rai... now deactivating his Henge no Jutsu and returning to his original form. "UCHIHA!" he shouted, anger pulsing through his veins.

Sasuke turned around, his face blank and cold, his eyes spinning with the wheels of the Sharingan. "Hyuuga." He smirked. "I hope you don't mind that we cut in on your little dance. Next time, focus more on the mission... not the girl in front of you. Pretty as she is."

And then they were gone.

Gone, just like that.

With her.

With Sakura.

The girl he... he could say it openly now, and he was proud to be able to... the girl he loved.

Neji shook with compressed fury, his fists clenching and unclenching. "Sakura..." he mumbled to himself, falling to his knees. "I have to... get her back..."

He fumbled in his pockets, unrolling the scroll Tsunade had given him. "Tsunade-sama," he said, his voice trembling with his body.

A slight pause, and then her image filled the scroll, the familiar diamond in her forehead, the blonde hair, the cleavage. The familiar sight calmed him, and he took a couple deep breaths. "Neji? What's up?" she asked lazily, a cup of tea appearing next to her mouth and going to her lips.

"Sakura's been captured."

"NANI!" The teacup slammed onto the desk, and there was a sickening cracking sound from her inhumane strength. She choked a bit on her beverage and sat up, coughing slightly. "Nani?" she repeated, her voice slightly hoarse.

He ran a hand through his hair. "Sakura. Has. Been. Captured." he repeated in a monotone, knowing full well that she'd heard. "By Uchiha and Kabuto."

"Sasuke? And Kabuto?" She cursed roundly, using words Neji'd never even knew existed, let alone be allowed to be used in a conversation. "Damn, damn, DAMN! Where'd they go?"

"I don't know," he answered hotly, his grip tightening. "There was a huge crowd of innocents, and I couldn't exactly stab everyone to get through, could I?"

"Neji, calm down," Tsunade snapped, glaring at him. "We're both worried, but it's no reason to get sarcastic. I need you to go after her as best you can. Stay safe, and when you get to the base, stay there. Don't do anything rash. I'm sending in Naruto, Shikamaru, and the Inuzuka boy as a backup team."

"Stay there? But Sak-"

"Hai, Hyuuga, stay there," she repeated sternly, emphasizing it with his surname, "and _do not do anything rash._ Actually, just don't do anything. Check out the place with Byakugan and avoid all contact."

He glared at the scroll. "Hai, Tsunade-sama."

"Then go now. Shizune, get me Nara, Uzamaki, and Inuzuka. Hurry, Goddammit! And get your fucking pig out of my face!"

Neji rolled the scroll back up and tucked it into his pocket, his rage still burning furiously as he strode towards the hotel. He'd need more weapons. A map. Something. Anything.

He needed her back.

A tumult of emotions rolled into his head as he pressed his fingers to the hidden curse seal. Rage, fear, horror, possessiveness, determination, resolve, uncertainty... a contradiction of interwoven feelings, all rising in him at once. He felt sick as he pushed open the hotel door. The old woman, Nitta-san, gasped at the blood on his outfit, barely visible from his red shirt. "Wh-what happened, Natsuhito-san?" she asked in a hushed voice.

He turned his gaze to her, watching as she cowered. He softened slightly. "My name is Hyuuga Neji, ma'am. I'm a shinobi from Konoha, the Hidden Village of the Leaf, in the Fire Country. I'm here on a mission. There are S-class criminals hiding in your village, planning something, and they've captured my partner, the pink-haired girl you know as Kane. I'll be in need of rations, if you'll be kind enough to provide them."

The old woman brought a hand to her mouth. "Y-you were acting?"

He looked away. "Mostly."

The woman put a comforting hand on his arm. "Hyuuga-san, don't worry. I'm sure you'll get her back. The hotel will be happy to provide food."

He smiled wearily at her. "Arigato. I'll be down in a couple of minutes. When I leave, I suggest you close up and hide in the safest place available."

She nodded and watched with a small amount of relief and sadness as the Hyuuga ran upstairs. Only a couple minutes later, he was back, wearing a pair of black pants, shinobi sandals, a baggy black shirt, and his forehead protector proudly around his forehead. He tightened his metal-plated gloves with his teeth and gladly accepted the food the woman gave him, tucking it into his pack. "If any other Konoha ninja happen to come by, tell them I'm looking for Sakura and the traitor."

The woman nodded. "Good luck, Hyuuga-san!"

"Arigato." Saluting slightly, he leapt into the trees, tracing his love's chakra around the forest.

_Not now. I won't lose you now._


	6. The Days We're Given

**The Art of Deception**

---

Author's Note: This has the most reviews out of all of my other stories. Altogether, after one night, I had 20 reviews on one chapter, and that was a couple days after I actually posted it. So much love to all of you guys-- my loyal fanbase! I'm so glad you guys think I'm that good. Because you're so great, I decided to work my ass off and give you a shortchapter before I leave. The last chapter will come when I get back. Ja ne!

---

**Scroll VI: The Days We're Given**

_We live, we love,  
We forgive and never give up..._

_-- Superchick; We Live_

---

"DAMN IT, LET ME GO!"

Sakura's enraged shout echoed throughout the compound as she kicked at her captors, consciousness barely returned. She could hardly see, but her voice burst from her lungs like a driven force before her eyes had even opened. Slowly, like a slide on a microscope coming into focus, she made out the silver ponytail that was Kabuto and the Sharingan eyes that were Sasuke. An iron grip closed on her wrists as she thrashed wildly, jade eyes clearing from their haze and sparking with anger.

"Kabuto, get on watch. Hyuuga will have informed the Hokage. There'll be teams on the way. Inform Orochimaru-sama."

The round glasses shined as Kabuto nodded and vanished, only a current of air signifying that he was once there. Sasuke turned to the pink-haired kunoichi in front of him, struggling furiously. "Let me go, Sasuke, I mean it." Her voice was soft and deadly. "I'm not joking."

"Neither am I, Sakura." He forced her against the wall, his hands closed against her wrists tightly.

"Why did you capture me in the first place?" she hissed, cursing Tsunade, her stupidity, Sasuke, and Ino for making her buy that damned dress all in one.

"You work with the Hokage, do you not?" he murmured, looking over her disheveled appearance with something close to pain. "Orochimaru-sama would love to hear those secrets... plus, you've interfered with our assassination mission."

"The Kage of Lightning, I suppose," she said with a little less bite, looking at him strangely. Why had he looked so sad when he'd looked at her? She didn't even know Sasuke could _do_ emotion. And why, damn it, wasn't she fighting anymore? She couldn't let herself hurt him. He was part of Team Seven. He was her old love. Damn her, she was so stupid!

But when Sasuke looked at her again, the traces of emotion were gone. "Of course. Now, Sakura, if you'd be kind enough to divulge... we've heard that the Hokage has been planning an attack. I'm sure you'd know all about it, being her assistant of sorts."

Sakura scowled at him. She knew the details, of course, but she wouldn't tell him anything. "I'm not her assistant, you jackass, I'm her apprentice. I've been trained by her and many others."

He looked slightly surprised. "Apprentice? Others? Others, as in...?"

She sighed irritably. "Rock Lee, Hyuuga Neji, Naruto,Kaka-sensei... do I need to go on? And yes, I am her apprentice. Don't look so surprised."

Sasuke quickly wiped off the shock. "So you've learned new things." He smirked and chuckled coldly. "Still the same Haruno Sakura, though... still the same weak, annoying girl that pined over me when she was twelve. Sad, really."

Her temper rose immediately, and she clenched her fists. "What do you mean? You don't know anything about me, bastard! You haven't seen me in years!"

"There's not much to see."

She let out a roar of pure rage and used his grip on her wrists to pick him up and throw him across the room, eyes hard and battle-ready. "So there's not much to see?" she repeated through gritted teeth, ripping off the bottom of the dress to reveal short shorts for easier movement. "Let's just see about that."

"Let's." He landed gracefully on his feet, still smirking, Sharingan activated. He waited until she charged, shuriken flying towards him, and leapt over her head, making a move to kick her in the back. She grabbed his foot and stopped him, kicking his stomach. As he held onto her foot in turn, she used her body to twist and try and kick him again, but was rudely stopped as he caught that foot, too. "Sakura, Sakura... you should know better."

She twisted her upper body under his legs and grasped his katana, pulling it out of the sheath and faced him again, lunging her torso at him to stab him. He vanished with a quick leap, making her fall unceremoniously to the floor. "Shit," she cursed softly, using the katana to stand. She looked around frantically. Where was he? She slammed her fist into the ground, revealing a definitely-shocked Uchiha Sasuke.

The shock quickly transformed into a grudging respect as he ran at her, the two engaging in a quick spout of taijutsu. Evidence of Rock Lee was evident in her style, but there were also distinctly Sakura-esque moves in there, too. He copied them with his Sharingan, marveling in the way she moved, like it was a dance. "You've gotten better, I'll give you that," he said, blocking a punch that would have broken his neck, "but you've got a long way to go to defeat me."

"We'll see." She found an opening and quickly took advantage of it, kicking at him. The kick fell short, and he smirked. It vanished quickly, though, as pure chakra came from her foot, sending him through the wall and outside.

Sakura leapt after him, throwing a barrage of kunais and shuriken that was vaguely reminiscent of Tenten, Konoha's weapons mistress. His katana was tied to her waist by the scrap of dress she'd torn off, a work of quick and nimble fingers as she jumped. Sasuke leapt up, dodging most of the weapons (a couple shuriken cut his clothes) and launched himself towards her, performing handsigns. Fireballs shot from his mouth in quick succession, making her jump up from the ground several times to avoid them. She winced as a stray jet of fire scorched her arm, burning the flesh painfully.

The medic nin's eyes widened in fear as Sasuke bore down on her, punching her in the gut multiple times and kicking her into a tree. She coughed slightly, wincing at the blood that spattered the ground and ran from her chin. His face was sickeningly triumphant as he stood over her. "I told you, Sakura, you've got a long way to go before you defeat me."

"Shut... up, you... asshole..." Muttering more curses, she placed a hand on her stomach, reveling in his wide eyes as she healed herself. Standing steadily, she got into battle position once more, smug amusement flickering over her face. "Surprised, Sasuke? I told you I was Tsunade-shishou's apprentice, didn't I?"

Her answer was a series of kunais at the tree that she was leaning on. The girl quickly dodged them all, running towards him while forming handsigns. Two clones on each side appeared. They ran in diagonals, crossing in front of each other, and leapt at Sasuke, punching and kicking. Sasuke growled at the clones, slashing at each one, but they maddeningly leapt back. When he finally managed to defeat the last one, he looked around. Where was she? Before he could do anything, she landed in front of him, running at him with a determined look in her seafoam-green eyes.

He narrowed his eyes, his Sharingan analyzing her move. She would either leap over him and get him from the back, or do a head-on attack. When she didn't tense her muscles to jump, he got into defensive position. He was unprepared, though, for what happened next.

One arm went around his neck and the other, holding a kunai, into his stomach. From any other perspective, it would have looked like an embrace, but she was actually stabbing him. He felt her hand on his back, pressing him into the kunai. The scent of her hair washed over him like some sort of toxic perfume. With a swift kick, she was sent flying to the ground.

Wincing as she got up, a flash of fear crossed over her as she regarded his look of intense anger. His curse seal flashed, and the lines started crossing over his face. The kunai stuck in his stomach. "Sakura... damn you..." he mumbled. "Is that the best you can do?"

Regaining her courage, she smirked at him, standing up a bit shakily this time. "Sasuke, I think you should pay attention the hand I put on your back."

His Sharingan eyes widened as a boom came from behind him, fire spreading through his shirt as the exploding tag she'd stuck on him went off. Yelling at the burn, he threw his shirt off, not caring that it landed on a tree which promptly caught fire. "DAMN YOU!" he repeated loudly, charging at her.

Sakura's eyes widened. He was _fast_! "No...!" she whispered, starting to run herself. "He'll kill me with that curse seal spreading!"

"Indeed. It was unwise of you to taunt him so."

A serpentine voice, the voice that had haunted her nightmares, caused her to stop in her tracks and look behind her. Sasuke was being restrained by another legendary Sannin, a snakelike eye regarding her curiously. "O-Orochimaru!" she breathed, suddenly infinitely more afraid.

"Hai, Orochimaru." He looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "It's good to see you again... Haruno Sakura, was it? Sasuke-kun here has been missing you..."

She clenched a kunai tight. _Missing me? Sasuke?_ Sasuke's burning shirt had spread now to other trees. Smoke filled the air.

"He was quite upset when he saw you and the Hyuuga boy together, you know. I'd suggest stopping the fight before you get more hurt." Orochimaru looked at her with a smile that made her want to retch.

"Move, Orochimaru!" she shouted, courage returning. "I will not give up! Not now! I will take him back to Konoha!"

"He'll be executed, you know."

"I DON'T CARE!" she yelled, half-sobbing.

"You do care, little one," he said with a pedophillic smile, "otherwise you wouldn't be holding back against dear Sasuke-kun here." He looked at her, tilting his head to the side. "Go on, little girl. Leave, or you'll be killed with the rest of this village. Report to little Tsunade, go ahead... give her my warm regards."

"Tell her yourself, bastard."

Neji flew from a tree, throwing a kunai at the snake nin.

Sakura nearly collapsed in relief.

Orochimaru hissed in anger at the interruption. "Sasuke-kun," he said to the boy, "I leave this to you." Without another word, the serpentine shinobi vanished.

Sasuke stepped forward, the curse seal spreading further still over his body. "Hyuuga. Glad you made it."

Neji stepped in front of Sakura, his pearl, chakra-fueled eyes narrowed with extreme hatred. "Traitor."

A stream of fire flew at Neji in response, who immediately leapt over it, his foot outstretched. It met dirt as Sasuke jumped back. Sakura dodged the fire, as well, running towards them. Neji growled, blocking a kick and returning with one of his own. "Sakura, get back!"

"No," she retorted, kicking Sasuke back, "I vowed along time ago not to watch from the sidelines anymore."

Sasuke snorted, a slightly crazed look in his eyes. "I don't need to waste my time with either of you. Hyuuga, it'd be better for you if you just surrendered the girl to me."

"I am not a _posession_!" Sakura shouted, running at him with a kick to the face. She noticed with a sinking heart that the forest was burning faster now. They needed to go, and soon.

He dodged it easily and slammed a fist into her stomach, making her cough up more blood on his arm. Neji, enraged, activated his Gentle Fist style, running at the Konoha traitor witha look of animosity in his eyes. The two battled quickly and effectively, Sasuke dodging Neji's touches and Neji blocking Sasuke's whirling extremities. Suddenly, Neji's palm was encased in chakra. Sakura gasped. He was pulling the ultimate... trying to actually kill Sasuke.

At the same time, Sasuke ran back, landing yards and yards away from the murderous Hyuuga. Blue chakra gathered in his hand as he sped forward. Neji ran towards him, too. An extreme sense of deja vu crossed Sakura's mind.

Naruto, with Rasengan.

Sasuke, with Chidori.

Both speeding towards eachother.

Kakashi's eyes widening.

Her own feet, carrying her towards them, trying to stop them.

And she felt them doing it again, molding chakra into her feet to go faster as the two ran to each other, homicidal glints in their eyes.

It all happened in slow motion.

Fire. Lots of fire, in the trees.

Sakura's mind whirled.

"Neji, NO!"

"Sasuke, NO!"

"NO!"

"STOP IT!"

"STOP IT NOW!"

Tears.

Salty tears, streaking down her face, dripping down her chin as she stood in between them, feet placed steadily, knees bent, hands outstretched, hair falling out.

They kept going.

It was when she opened her eyes that Sasuke stopped. Those eyes, brimming with tears, jade green with golden rims, with blood trickling from under the left eye from a cut he had given her.

It was when she sunk to her kenes that Neji stopped. That pitiful look, that burning horror he could feel emanating from her that she couldn't stop it, that she couldn't stop her two loves... one from the past and one from the present... from killing each other.

They stopped at exactly the same time, and ran to her at exactly the same time, but Neji was a split second faster in hugging her tightly. Sasuke could only watch, his curse seal dimming, his Sharingan eyes turning back to their normal onyx, as his rival enveloped one of the two women he'd ever cared for into his arms. "Stop..." she was mumbling. "I can't stand it..." She pushed Neji off her and stood, facing Sasuke. Her head was down, but she brought it up, staring at him intensely and stepping forward until they were inches apart.

Neji watched with a equal parts of anger, suspicion, and concern as the love of his life stared at the traitor.

Sasuke was taken aback. The green dress, tattered and ripped at the hips, was bound with the belt of the same material that held his katana. Her shorts were ripped in several places, blood leaking from her many wounds and the burn on her arm black, red, and angry. Tears were still in her eyes, still making their way down her cheek, around her nose, and falling onto the dusty ground, where they mixed with her falling blood. "Sasuke," she said sternly, "if you kill him, I will kill you." There was a significant push behind each word as she pronounced them with impeccable diction, never blinking at him. "If you turn on Konoha one more time, I will kill you."

"I want to go back," he said hoarsely, staring at her, "after I kill Itachi."

"Sasuke..." She looked at him almost pityingly. "That's the problem. After you kill Itachi, you'll still be hated. Unless you can kill Orochimaru, too, then you'll never be welcome in Konoha."

"What if I kill Orochimaru?"

"You can't."

"I'll try."

"Sasuke, you'll _die_," she protested, grabbing his shoulders and forcefully shaking him, "and I don't want you to die! You're my teammate, my friend, and... and even though I love Neji, damn it, in some horrible way I love you, too!" In the moment of silence that followed, the crackling of the flames warned her that they had to leave.

Neji looked at her and placed a hand on her shoulder. She released Sasuke and backed into Neji's embrace thankfully. "Just... be careful. Please," she pleaded.

Sasuke looked at her, opening his mouth to say something, but was interrupted.

"NEJI! SAKURA-CHAN! SASUKE!" Naruto's voice was loud as he raced towards them, followed closely by Kiba and Shikamaru. The latter two grabbed weapons immediately, preparing to subdue Sasuke, but Sakura put out a hand.

"No, please. Not now." She grabbed Neji's hand and looked at Sasuke, then at Naruto. For once, the blonde seemed to understand a delicate situation and motioned for Shikamaru and Kiba to put their weapons away. "Sasuke," Sakura said, "leave. Go with Orochimaru. But remember my warning. Next time, I won't hesitate to kill you."

He nodded. "Dobe," he said, smirking, a shadow of his old self coming out, "Nara, Inuzuka. I'll see you around." He gave one last look to Sakura and Neji and nodded.

"Teme," Naruto grumbled, but there was a small smile on his face as the Sharingan-user ran away, melting into the smoke streaming from the fires. "I'm glad we found you two in time," he said suddenly, frowning. "The old lady at the inn said you two would probably be in danger... she was right. I smell Orochimaru... was he here?"

Kiba exploded with an interruption. "What the hell? Why'd you let the traitor Uchiha go? We could have captured him easily! He was wounded, I could smell a lot of blood! It would have been easy!" The dog-nin glared at Neji and Sakura, both of whom looked at each other with a mutual understanding, then at Naruto and Shikamaru, who nodded.

Shikamaru sighed, ruffling his already-ruffled hair. "I'm not going to explain to dog-boy over here," he said, looking at them."Not worth my time, as well as extremely troublesome. But I get it. Troublesome as it is..."

"Hai, hai, the whole world's troublesome," Naruto snapped sarcastically. "We know. But we've got to get rid of this fire first thing. It'll spread to the village if we don't. After that, Neji and Sakura-chan will explain... right?" He looked at them expectantly.

Sakura sighed, feeling suddenly extremely tired. A look from Neji and a reassuring squeeze of her hand, though, made her nod wearily. She took Sasuke's katana from her belt and weighed it in her hand, closing her eyes tightly to ward off the second set of tears she could feel coming.

"Right."


	7. Ain't No Other

**The Art of Deception**

---

Author's Note: Yes, yes, I'm back, you can all cheer. But at the same time, this is the last chapter, so maybe you won't be so happy... I hope you guys like the ending! Honestly, I think it sucks, even thoughI worked on it for a while, even though it's short. Don't worry, I'm definitely making more fanfics... I just need new ideas.

---

**Scroll VII: Ain't No Other**

_I could feel it from the start,  
Couldn't stand to be apart.  
Something 'bout you caught my eye,  
Something moved me deep inside!_

_--Christina Aguilera; Ain't No Other_Man

---

Sakura clutched the fabric of her pillow tightly, staring at her clenched fingers with a sort of detatched sadness. Her pink tresses spread over the other side of the pillow, and a blanket was wrapped around her exposed shoulders. Her green-gold eyes were unusually dry, and she decided to take the most of this break in the sobbing to get up. Neji and Naruto were in her living room, talking about the mission. Wrapping the blanket tighter over her scantily-clad figure, she swiped a brush through her hair and washed her face, trying to get the puffy redness out from beneath her eyes. Staring at herself for a moment, she sighed through her teeth and walked into the living room quietly.

Neji was the first to notice she was there, and stopped talking. Naruto carried on obliviously for a moment before trailing off when he saw her there, wrapped in a blanket that oversized her already-small body. Now, though, she just looked like a china doll, easily breakable but determined to stay in one piece. "Sakura-chan..."

"Tea," she said, gesturing vaguely towards the kitchen.

"I'll get it," Neji volunteered quietly. He stood and offered her his seat, nodding to Naruto. "I'll be right back."

Naruto nodded, putting a hand over Sakura's. "Sakura-chan, are you okay?"

Sakura didn't look at him, but stared at their hands. "Hai. No. I don't know." She was silent for a moment. "But then, I wasn't when he left the first time either, and I recovered from that, didn't I?"

"That you did. And turned into the ass-kicking Sakura I know now, eh?" Naruto smiled at her, that foxy grin made especially to cheer her up, and she couldn't help but smile back.

"I guess so."

Naruto shook his head. "Ah, Sakura-chan, come here." He pulled her into a hug, feeling her stiff body underneath the blanket. "Cry. Go ahead. It's not a weakness, Sakura-chan."

She cried. She relaxed into Naruto's arms and wrapped her own around him, clutching at him as if he was a lifeline. He held her gently, stroking her hair, murmuring quiet things like "it's okay" and "cry it out" and "go ahead".

After all the tears had left her body, Sakura relished in the calm, clean feeling she got after a hearty cry. She leaned her head against Naruto's shoulder. "Naruto?"

"Hm?" He ran a thumb over her hand.

"I'm really happy for you. You and Hinata, I mean." She smiled at him. "You're wonderful for each other."

He looked slightly surprised, but broke into that grin again. "Arigato, Sakura-chan. I'm really happy, too. I can't wait."

"When's the wedding?"

"Probably sometime in winter. Hinata wants a winter wedding. She's always liked the cold, you know." His eyes sparkled, and a light blush covered his cheeks.

"Go get her, Naruto," Sakura laughed, pushing him. "I know you want to see her."

"You'll be okay?"

"Hai, I'll be fine. I have Neji." She smiled at him, a determined, lovely smile.

He chuckled. "You do, don't you? Ah, well. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"Narutooooo!"

But he was already gone.

Neji came in with her tea, setting it in front of her. "Where'd he go?"

"Hinata."

He smiled slightly, pearly eyes going up at the corners. "I see." He sat down next to her as she reached for the cup, sipping slowly.

"Arigato, Neji-kun."

He waved a hand, as if to say it was no problem, and brusheda strand of hair from her face, his own visage suddenly softer. He thought she was beautiful when she was all dressed up, breasts and slender neck and updone hair, but now was when he really thought he loved her beyond any other woman: when her hair was down and slightly messy, a blanket wrapped around her like a safeguard, and her eyes slightly puffy from crying, and when she still looked beautiful. "I love you, Sakura."

She looked at him quickly, nearly dropping the tea. Her mouth was slightly open. "Nani?"

"You heard me, Sakura. I love you."

"B-"

"I'll say it again, if you want." There was a dry humor in his eyes and tone as he looked at her intently. "I'll shout it to the world, actually, if it's needed."

"You'll shout it to the world?" She smiled slightly.

"Well, Konoha. And that's close enough."

"Neji..." She set her teacup down and looked at him in the eye, as if trying to size him up. "You moron!" she burst suddenly.

"Huh?" Neji answered brilliantly, confused as hell. He stared at her, but she didn't look like she was angry. More... amused? Happy? Ecstatic?

And then, suddenly, her arms were around him and the blanket down, revealing her... revealing... outfit. "You moron, you idiotic bastard! I hate you!" Sakura was laughing into his shoulder, and then kissing his face all over. "How can you just say that so casually? Like we're discussing the weather, or something?"

He chuckled into her hair, wrapping his arms around her. "Sakura, what are you saying? You want me to say it with more feeling?"

"Well... yes!" She looked at him with a small frown, but her eyes shone. "It's not enough to say you love me, Neji-kun..."

"I guess I'll show it, then." He kissed her.

It was even better than the kiss when they were dancing. This kiss was full of love, where the other one was passion-- this kiss sealed a deal, paid a fare, signed a contract. As they separated, Neji took her hand. "Sakura."

"Hai?"

"The Uchiha..." He cringed mentally to see her face fall slightly. "If he comes back..."

Sakura's face was hard. "I said I wouldn't hesitate anymore, Neji. I meant it."

"But you... you said you loved him." He felt his hand tighten subconsciously over hers. "Gomen. I shouldn't talk about this."

She stroked his cheek. "Neji... I love you more than anything. Even Sasuke. Even life. Can't you see that? The love I have for Sasuke... I just don't want to see him killed. It's complex, you know? It's a wierd feeling, but I have it for all of Team Seven. Gomen nasai."

Neji grasped her wrist and gently kissed her fingers. "It's okay. But Sakura... I was worried."

"For what?"

"I thought I would lose you."

She smiled slightly and kissed him sweetly, drawing it out as long as she could before coming out for air.

"You'll never lose me."


End file.
